


Gods Among Men

by R_Sublett



Category: Smosh, Smosh Games, Smosh Pitt
Genre: F/M, Smosh Games - Freeform, Smosh Second Channel - Freeform, marvel AU, smosh - Freeform, superhero au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-02-24 11:35:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 29,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13212903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_Sublett/pseuds/R_Sublett
Summary: An unlikely group of heroes has to take down a man with a troubled mind before things get out of hand. Will they be able to save New York, or will it all be for nothing?





	1. Masters of the Mystic Arts

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Thank you so much for reading the things I post and thank you so much for giving comments and kudos. I really hope you guys enjoy this fic, I'm super excited for it. Thank you so much and I hope you have a wonderful new year!

Mari sat cross legged on the rock ledge that overlooked the snow capped mountain tops that lay before her. Her eyes were shut gently, all muscles relaxed, her hands resting on her knees as she sat upright. The cold winds rippled her yellow and burgundy robes that were wrapped in an organized tight fashion around her upper body and waist and were loose by her legs that were clad in thick loose, gray pants. Her purple hair was tightly braided down her back and her nails were chipped and worn from the endless training and studying she did. Mari breathed in the cool mountain air, feeling and seeing her surroundings even though her eyes were closed.  
A light hand touched her shoulder causing her to open her eyes and face the bright light of the sun that illuminated the clear skies. She looked up and saw the face of her friend Amra who was dressed in equally organized robes and pants but instead in the colors green and back rather than yellow and burgundy. The dark skinned man helped up the young asian woman and they returned to their home settled deep in the Himalayas, Kamar-Taj. The home of all Masters of the Mystic Arts, the arts they themselves knew and breathed.  
Mari Takahashi came to Kamar-Taj when she was only a young girl of the age of five. She had lived in Japan before then with her mother and father where her parents learned their daughter was beyond ‘special’. Mari was born with the ability to create and manipulate force fields, and to keep her from the dangers of government and so she could learn to control her powers her parents searched long and hard for the legendary haven of Kamar-Taj. She lived in the mountains ever since studying in the teachings of the Ancient One, learning to control her abilities of force field manipulation and learning in the ways of the Mystic Arts along with various forms of combat.  
Amra or rather ‘Flitz’ which is the nickname Mari gave him when they were children, also grew up in the mountains with the monks. He was abandoned by whoever his mother or father was as a baby and left on the doorstep of the temple. The Ancient One along with all the other members of the small hidden society took him in and raised him as their own. But Flitz too was born with abilities, the ability to levitate and fly. So in addition to their abilities, Mari and Flitz studied long and hard along with hours upon hours of practice; they gained control over the Mystic Arts.  
Upon arriving back to the temple, Wong the head librarian called the two into the main courtyard. There everyone who resided in the temple was sitting and patiently waiting cross legged. The two young adults approached the head librarian who was in front of the crowd.  
“Wong, what’s going on?” Mari asked because of how confused she was of what was going on. Wong just motioned for her and Flitz to walk forwards and join him in front of the crowd.  
“I would like to announce that Amra Ricketts and Mari Takahashi have finished their training.” Wong said loudly to the crowd. Flitz and Mari looked at the librarian in shock. Had they? Had they actually finished their training? “They are now Masters of the Mystic Arts and will be taking control over the New York sanctum with Doctor Stephen Strange.” The group cheered and Mari and Flitz looked at one another shocked and appalled. Not only had they finished their training but they had been dubbed Masters and on top of that were now leaders of one of the sanctums.  
Stephen Strange shook hands with the two of them and stood by their side. He congratulated them and Mari couldn’t shake the feelings that were running through her mind and body. “Just like every master, Mari and Amra you will now be able to pick and choose which relic you will be using for the rest of this life.” Wong lead them out of the courtyard to the room where there were portals to the other sanctums. They left Kamar-Taj and entered the New York sanctum which housed the Chamber of Relics. He then left the two new masters to themselves after bidding them a heartfelt farewell. There in the chamber Mari and Flitz started mulling over their choice of relic.  
Flitz glided his fingers over the various blades until her stumbled upon and old wooden box that was coated with dust and was hidden behind most of the shelves. He cracked open the box to reveal a bow a bow without any arrows. He picked it up and saw how large it was, almost a third of his height. But despite its large size it was incredibly lightweight. He steadied it and brought it up as if he was going to shoot an arrow from it. Pulling back the string and arrow made of pure energy and glowed read started to form out of thin air. He gasped and lowered the string.  
“Is that the Bow of Apollo?” Mari asked.  
“I think so!” Flitz said sounding shocked.  
“And did you just pull it back? Like did it create an arrow.” Flitz nodded and demonstrated it again. Mari’s mouth opened in awe. “You know that it doesn’t let just anyone pull it back, only few people can.” Flitz lowered the weapon and smiled. That’s the thing about relics, you didn’t really chooses them that much, they more so chose the user.  
Mari continued to walk around the chamber until she felt something within her open. It was almost as if she was breathing the mountain air again, he stomach felt warm and her head cleared. She turned around and saw a sword mounted on the wall with a dark inky blade. She walked up to it and took it off of its pedestal. She felt how evenly balanced it was and flipped in her hand, something felt right when she held it. As if they were linked, and they were. The Ebony Blade called out to Mari to be its wielder. She took its sheath off from the mount and strapped it to her side and put the sword into it. The two masters left the chamber with one another and went upstairs to get settled in their new rooms that had already been repaired and came with a new set of clean robes for the both of them.  
“You know what this means don’t you?” Flitz asked as they sat in the main area of the large sanctum. They had been observing the many relics that hung on the walls and decorated the room. Candles were lit as it was already dark and both could hear the unfamiliar sounds of city life coming from outside.  
“We can find him, we’re Masters now.” Mari said in almost a whisper, Flitz nodded. Both knew exactly who they were talking about but didn’t dare say his name. It was almost painful to. “It’s strange, by this time on any other night I would’ve been deep into a new book on the arts, but I’ve read all of them.”  
“Same.” Flitz replied. “We know all we need to know. It’s strange though, almost seems as if we are missing something.” Mari agreed. “But we can fill up our time with the other thing now.” They sat in silence for a few moments more, savoring their new freedom.  
“We should get rest.” Flitz nodded and they headed back upstairs after blowing out the candles and folding up the mats they had been sitting on. Mari felt complete. She was no longer a student but a keeper and Master of a sanctum with her best friend. She changed into her night clothes and cleared her mind so she could get rest and repair for morning.

+++

The back door of a night club opened and a shadowy figure walked inside. The loud screaming music made the floorboards shake and tremble, people danced in close proximity with one another causing the room to be sweaty and sticky. The figure passed by these people and made its way into the back of the warehouse club where their purpose was.  
The purpose was a dark haired, small woman who had dark skin and large brown eyes that were rimmed with black makeup. Black, tattered clothing adorned her body along with large black boots on her feet. She stood there flipping a coin through her fingers, tossing it up into the air and catching it nonchalantly. But the trick was so quick you would have to look hard to see it. Mid air the coin would disappear but only for a second and would happen again when she would roll it across her fingers. But it wasn’t magic, no magic at all. At least none like the shadowy figure knew. They approached the young woman and lowered their hood and opened part of their robes.  
“What the hell do you want?” The woman said loud enough for the figure to hear. She rolled her eyes at them and almost walked away.  
“I know what you can do, I know everything.” It said. She looked at it, still unable to see its face in the dark lighting. She motioned for it to follow her out the doors so they could talk about this someplace else. They ended up going to the alleyway outside the club that was littered with trash and dim lighting.  
“Tell me what you know you creep, and what’s with all the robes?” She asked sounding impatient and angry. The shadowy figure stepped out from the shadows to reveal a handsome looking man with a chiseled face, pale skin, messy brown hair, and a smug smirk on his face. He was wearing black and gray robes that were wrapped neatly around his body that had a large hood handing in the back. On his waist was a burgundy sash that had a ring and two daggers wrapped to it.  
“First of all, the name is Damien.”


	2. Day in the Life

Wes woke up to a blaring alarm and loud city streets. The New York City night life was just starting up, leaving him to be a bleary eyed mess in his semi-clean sheets. He slapped his alarm clock which shut it off and practically rolled off his bed, considering it was just a shitty mattress laying on the floor it was easy. Soon after he got up from the floor, changed his clothes, brushed his teeth, and headed off to work after refilling his water bottle and grabbing his bag.  
The tall, silver haired man walked down the street with a quick pace wearing gym shorts, a dark green hat, and slightly ripped t-shirt along with a pair of ratty gym shoes. Crowds of people walked around him, occasionally glancing up at him and his huge, muscled form. But for the most part he was lowkey, and he walked down a cramped alleyway and down a rickety staircase. He ended up in a dark, damp gym that had a large ring in the center and a bar in the corner. This was it, this was his job.  
It all started back in 2008 when Tony Stark revealed he was the Iron Man. Of course this made the world feel like they had a shell of armor around them but it also made terrorist groups fall into a frenzy. Iron Man targeted these groups of course and they needed a weapon to fight back with, the most notable being Hydra.   
Hydra was the nazi organization that existed back in WWII under the control of the Red Skull. They were most notable for stealing the formulas for creating Captain America, the first super soldier. Then after him came the Winter Soldier, then after him came the second batch of Winter Soldiers that were thankfully killed. But Hydra wasn’t done yet, instead they gave the serum an ‘update’ and created two new ‘super soldiers’ in the wake of Iron Man. The plan was to take him out, the world didn’t need a superhero, then use the soldiers to dominate world power and assassinate word leaders. But of course they had to escape, of course the Nazi’s lost and were stupid, and now there were two loose supersoldiers out in the world.  
But it’s not like they left without any consequences. Their brains were thrown into a blender and both men were left with a mess of cut up memories, nothing of their past. Neither knew their true names, neither remembered their families or parents or childhood memories, or even how they ended up in Hydra’s clutches. Both were just shells of men and only had cold and damp memories of missions, faces, and brutal training they endured.  
Wes shook his head, he didn’t feel like remembering things at the moment he only felt like getting a paycheck. And to get that paycheck he would have to go through several, bare-fisted, agonizing, fights against men twice his size until three in the morning in the underground fight club he worked at. He started prepping himself in the back corner, wrapping his fists, drinking as much water as he could before people would start shoving alcohol down his throat, and mentally preparing himself for the night ahead. He would have to take a few hits here and there, maybe lose a fight here and there, but ultimately he would win the most. He always did, he was the main attraction of this circus. 

+++

Shayne kneeled on the ledge of the building taking in the scene around him, it was nearing midnight and soon everything would be falling into place. The mark would take his spot in front of the big bay window in the building across the street and Shayne would use his M200 Intervention sniper rifle to shoot the young man straight in the back of the head. Piece of cake.   
The blond hitman kneeling on the building looking through a pair of binoculars was none other than Shayne Topp, the second super soldier created by Hydra. Of course Shayne Topp was just a name he chose for himself because he couldn’t remember his real one but he had created quite a reputation for himself with that name. After he broke out with the other soldier who now went by Wesley Johnson, he figured why not use these newfound abilities but on his own terms. Now he was the wealthiest hitman in NYC who yes, killed people, but typically bad people.  
Shayne didn’t go around killing anyone, typically it was rapists or mob bosses but this one that he was currently about to take out was one of those professional wall street wolfs that had several enemies. While he tried explaining this to Wes, the other soldier just wouldn’t have it.  
“We have done so much killing already Shayne, is it truly worth it?” Wes asked as he denied Shayne’s offers. Shayne just shrugged it off, he really wanted to help Wes, he lived like a damn animal in a single room apartment without even a bed frame.   
But this life, this life of crime was so luxurious. He could have anything, he had a penthouse apartment, access to as many weapons as he wanted, designer brands, fancy cars you name it. Shayne had it all and this new mark would add to it. It was going to be his biggest mark yet at the pretty price of 1.7 million dollars, he could buy a Bugatti at a price like that.  
Wannabe Jordan Belfort finally took his spot at the big bay window to give his self absorbed speech to his party guests and Shayne took his spot behind his rifle. Taking a deep breath his finger hovered over the trigger and his eye went down the sight.   
Then in less than two seconds the man in the fancy suit was dead on the floor and Shayne was headed towards roof exit. He walked down the stairs and disassembled his gun as he took the steps two at a time and threw the parts in his backpack. Zipping it up quickly he reached the main entrance of the building he was in and left in a casual pace. His black baseball cap wasn’t even low on his face and he was wearing a smirk. The key to not drawing attention to yourself was to not dress like you lived in the shadows but instead dress like everyone else.   
Shayne took off his ball cap and clipped it to the belt loops of his pants then threw on his dual sport bike helmet and hopped on his jet black MV Agusta F4CC sportbike (one of the most expensive motorcycles in the world that he bought because why not) and sped away back to his apartment. By the time he was getting ready for bed the cops were putting the stock brokers body into a bag.   
The blonde’s smile got even wider as he got a notification from his personal finance assistant sent him a text saying his payment arrived. He was 1.7 million dollars richer and another douchebag was dead, that was something he could definitely sleep on. Maybe a hot like this would finally convince Wesley to join him and put behind underground MMA fighting for good, getting beaten up every night of the week really did terrible things to your complexion. 

+++

Wes walked out into the streets of New York with sweaty skin and silver hair that was plastered to his neck along with bloody knuckled and a split lip and bruised abdomen. He walked home shirtless because his towel was already soaked with sweat and his shirt would just awkwardly cling to his body if he put it on. Not worth anything. He decided to take the scenic route home, through the fancy neighborhood full of very expensive apartments. He was a quarter of the way through the street when he noticed one of the buildings was almost glowing, light was coming through its windows.  
Normally he would dismiss this but this was the one building that always sparked curiosity in him. It was the oldest building in the neighborhood that has the big circular window on the roof with the strange symbol on it. Warm yellow light shown through the window and made him stop dead in his tracks. Wes always thought that building was abandoned, he had never seen anyone go in or out of it nor had he ever seen light shine through it before.  
What did it mean? Had someone always lived there or maybe it was a group of teens vandalizing the building. The silver haired soldier debated on what he would do for about five minutes in the abandoned street until he decided he would knock on the door, knocking couldn’t hurt could it?  
So he approached the door, and gave it three firm knocks on its solid wood door, then fully regretted the choice he had made. But a part of him always wondered what was inside the building, if there were kids vandalizing then he should stop them, this was a nice building. And if it was some other type of illegal activity then he should stop that too, right?  
Wes held his breath and places his hand over the large knob of the door and quickly made an effort to turn it. To his disbelief it turned and the door creaked open. He had another mental debate on whether or not if he should go in or not but once again curiosity got the best of him. Wes entered the dimly lit building, not knowing what or who he would find.


	3. The Sanctum Sanctorum

Wes silently walked through the doorway of the mysterious old house. He was greeted by a large, fancy staircase that lead to a large looking upstairs. He tried to stop himself from walking any further but he couldn’t help it, something was pulling him in. So instead he just kept walking and tried to be as quiet as possible as he headed up the stairs.  
The upstairs was filled with display cases and items hanging on the walls ranging from dangerous looking swords, body armor, to strange looking cloaks and gloves. The area was dimly lit, covered in tapestries and paintings and expensive looking decor. Wes looked at the interesting and eclectic items that were stored in this place, never did he think this building was some sort of art history museum. He thought they would have a sign for it somewhere. He turned and saw there was another set of stairs that lead up to someplace unknown. He headed up them quietly and was met with what was causing the glowing light to shine through the giant circular window he had seen outside.  
There in front of the window was a small woman dressed in yellow and burgundy robes that were wrapped neatly around her body. She looked like she was almost doing tai chi as she positioned herself and flowed through her movements. But woven between her hands looked like a golden and glowing rope that let off a soft humming noise as she moved it. The rope looked like it was made out of pure energy, it glistened and pulsed in her touch. Wes looked at the young woman with the purple hair and yellow robes in awe and tried to comprehend what he was seeing. But then in her fluid movements her body spun around and she was facing the silver haired man who had ascended half of the staircase and was standing right in the middle. Her face showed shock but not anger, Wes was quaking and he felt his palms already starting to sweat.  
“I, uh-” Wes started to say but instead he just quickly turned around so he could get out of the mysterious building and away from the pretty purple haired woman.  
“Wait!” He heard a voice shout out, he stopped running down the stairs and slowly turned his head to look behind him. Wes saw the glowing energy rope woven between her hands fade away and she was at the edge of the staircase. “Don’t go, you’re not in trouble. I won’t call anyone, I promise!” The small woman pleaded. Wes looked at her with a scared expression, he didn’t know what to think at this point. What was the glowing rope? Who is she? Why is she dressed so strange and what even is this place? “I can answer any questions, just don’t be afraid. I promise I mean no harm.” The woman said reassuringly. Wes started to slowly go back up the staircase and came face to face with the purple haired woman.  
The lights in the room suddenly flickered on and he got a good look at her. Standing in front of her she was shorter than he thought she was, considerably shorter. Her purple hair was faded and braided tightly down her back and her face was small and tan and had lovely almond shaped eyes. He looked down at her and almost wanted to smile, she was beautiful and strange and mystical.   
Mari stared back at the tall man in front of her. He was shirtless and glistened with sweat, had a busted lip and bruises but behind his wounds she saw a boyish face adorned with light stubble and messy silver hair that had brown roots. He was huge compared to her and wore beat up sneakers and pants that had seen better days. Who was this stranger and how did he find the sanctum?   
“My name is Mari.” Mari spoke, breaking the silence. She stuck out her hand for the man and he took it with caution.  
“Wes.” He replied while shaking her small hand slowly. She gave him a warm smile, probably to show that she meant no harm and he gave her a weak one back. “I promise I didn’t come to steal anything which probably sounds sketchy coming from a beat up shirtless dude but I swear, this place just always interested me and I thought it was abandoned until I saw the light coming from the window and-” Wes was cut off when another figure entered the room dressed in green robes and had a shaved head along with a pair of glasses resting on his nose.  
“Is everything alright Mari?” The tall man asked, Wes took notice of the bow slung across his body then noticed how Mari had a sword strapped to her back. Whoever these people were they meant business, Wes started to feel uneasy again. “We have a guest?” The tall man asked as he looked at Wes.  
“Everything is fine Flitz, this is Wes.” Mari said as she gestured to Wes. He gave a small wave and Flitz smiled.  
“Well the doors of Sanctum Sanctorum are forever open, we are happy to have you Wes. Would you like tea? And perhaps a shirt?” Flitz asked, folding his hands and giving him a kind smile.   
“I uh,” Wes looked at the two strangers, two very strange strangers who were armed and apparently magical, “sure?” He said weakly almost sounding like a question.  
+++  
Wes was now sitting on a cushion wearing a plain shirt made out of a strange material being given ointments and bandages by Flitz while Mari setup tea for them on the small table set in front of them. He graciously thanked Flitz for taking care of his wounds even though he really didn’t have to and smelled the warm teas Mari was pouring. It was nearing morning at this point yet Wes didn’t feel at all tired. Mari gave him a small cup filled with tea the color of amber that smelled like honey.  
“So Wesley, what brings you to Sanctum Sanctorum?” Flitz asked. “Are you in need of guidance, spiritual help, healing?”  
“Um, no I don’t think so. I was walking home from work and I pass this building sometimes and I thought it was abandoned until I saw light coming from the big circular window.” Wes said, saying it aloud just made his reasoning sound dumb. He should’ve just said spiritual guidance.   
“So you just walked in?” Mari asked.  
“I mean, I wouldn’t of if it was locked but I guess I couldn’t help myself? Which honestly just sounds dumb but once I saw this place I was intrigued and curiosity got the best of me. There’s just so much here, all these artifacts, weapons, armor. Is this place a museum?” Mari and Flitz scoffed at his questions and shook their heads no.  
“Everything that you see here is a relic from our previous Masters, we keep them here in the New York Sanctum, that we are the keepers of.” Flitz explained.  
“Masters? Keepers? Can I ask who exactly are you people because when I came in here I was greeted by one of you using a glowing rope that didn’t even look real.” Wes said sounding and looking confused. Mari stood up from her place on the floor, straightened her ropes, then clasped her hands together and started pulling them apart almost making a clapping motion. The golden energy roped started to reappear and weave between her fingers and create sparks that fluttered to the ground. Wes looked at her in awe.  
“Flitz and I are Masters of the Mystics Arts, a delicate teaching that trains you in the ways of the multiverse.” Mari said as she pulled and positioned the rope to show off its qualities. “People such as Steve Rogers, Spiderman, and the king of Wakanda are heros that protect our world from physical dangers, we protect our world from more mythical threats. Ones that some people cannot begin to understand. As Masters of the Mystic Arts we trained in the ways of the Ancient One in the mountains of Kamar-Taj. We learned how to channel our energy and bring it into a physical substance like you see here. We can use it as a way to protect ourselves,” Mari transformed the rope into a large square that stemmed several triangles and was inscribed with a language Wes didn’t recognise, “or to fight.” She then changed it into two small semi circles that were 3D and looked almost like blades.   
“Mari and I actually just graduated and became Masters, that’s why we are here. We are now the keepers and protectors of the New York Sanctum along with Doctor Stephen Strange, however he is currently gone right now dealing with another important matter” Flitz explained. Wes nodded along, he vaguely understood what was going on.   
“May I ask why you were beaten up?” Mari inquired. Flitz also looked at Wes with eyes filled with curiosity.  
“Oh! Um, well the only job I could find after I uh,” Wes paused and tried to think about his answer, “after I left my previous workplace was at a small club.”  
“Club?” Mari asked.  
“Fight club.” Wes answered. Mari and Flitz’s eyes widened and they sipped their tea. “It’s not a big deal though, that’s just my job.”  
“What were you doing before this work?” Flitz asked.  
“I’d rather not disclose.” Wes answered quietly. Surely if they knew about his previous life they’d kill him in a heartbeat, hell, he would if he was in their position.   
“We all have demons Wesley, there’s nothing to be afraid of here.” Mari assured. Wes gave her a weak smile and took another sip of his tea before he finally broke down and answered.   
“I was a hitman for a Nazi organization that kidnapped and brainwashed me.” He said flatly. Mari and Flitz’s eyes widened one more time and they went back to sipping their teas. Wes sat silently across from them and tried not to make eye contact.   
“Wait, so you’re saying you’re good at finding people?” Mari blurted out.  
“Oh no, no no no I am not killing anyone for you. If you need someone to do that I can definitely find someone for you but I personally am not messing with that anymore.” Wes rambled as he put his hands over his face.   
“Wait no we don’t need you to kill anyone, just find someone, and we won’t kill him if you find him for us.” Flitz said as he caught on to what Mari was talking about. “He’s our friend and he’s gone missing after he got caught up in some bad stuff, we just need to find him before it gets too late.” Wes looked at the two of them skeptically.  
“What’s in it for me?” He asked.  
+++  
The deal was something Wes could not pass up, not money, not any of their weapons, but a place to stay that had clean water, wifi, a nice bed, and clothing. As long as Wes helped the two ‘Masters’ he was allowed to stay with them in their sanctum and he found their friend they would help him find a nicer place and a nicer job. He was happy to say the least, anything was better than the place he lived in and the job he worked. That night after he agreed to their offer Mari and Flitz helped him clean out his place and move over to his new room in the sanctum, it was easy considering all he had were a few pieces of clothes and some toiletries.   
Now he was settled in his new place that still had a mattress that was on the floor but it was much softer and the sheets were clean. In his room hund tapestries and a small bookcase was in the corner filled with several books in another language he didn’t know how to read, or at least remember how to read.   
Mari and Flitz showed him the wash room where he was able to take a hot shower for the first time in forever and he was given a pair of his boxers that Flitz had already taken the liberty of washing for him. By the time he got back into his room his clothes were already washed and folded and put into drawers, he told Mari and Flitz it was really no big deal.   
As he got settled into bed the sun was already rising but he was exhausted, now all he had to do was find someone by the name of Damien.


	4. Late Nights and New Clothes

Olivia sighed and covered her face. Her bun was hardly even a bun but rather a rubber band holding half a section of her hair up causing her dark hair to fall in her face, shielding her eyes from the bright screen of her computer and desk light. It was another late night at headquarters stuck in front of her computer screen reviewing security footage, downing coffees and white rice that was being made in a constant stream from her portable rice maker. The others had already left before it got too dark but Olivia stayed behind to really try and crack down on this perp, she had been tracking him for almost two years.  
The underground world called him the ‘best of the best’ but no one knew his real name and it there was some kind of unspoken way to come in contact with him, an unspoken way that Olivia and her colleagues didn’t know. He frustrated her to no end, caused her to miss out on after work drinks with friends, miss first dates, and lose all sense of a social life. This whoever, was the bane of Olivia’s existence, her foil, and antithesis. She absolutely hated whoever was this five foot ten, motorcycle riding hitman was.  
Ian told her to cut herself some slack, maybe the guy was just untouchable, agent Romanoff had been before she came in contact with SHIELD and she was again after the whole Sakovian Accords ordeal. Agent Romanoff, that’s who they needed right now because she could find anyone in the blink of an eye, Natasha was the agent Olivia looked up to for the longest time but then she just ran off without a trace. So much for being brave and admirable.  
Olivia decided to call it a night. She washed her rice cooker in the small kitchenette sink the office had to offer, shut down her computer and shoved in in her bag, and signed out of work and headed into the NYC streets to head home to her apartment. As she walked she considered Ian’s advice, maybe he was unreachable he was the best of the best after all but then again she couldn’t just give up hope. This guy supposedly had over 200 kills, the newest being some Wall Street hot shot who was worth a pretty penny. She scoffed at the idea of her nemesis being wealthy and living a luxurious life while she had to suffer in a studio apartment with the smallest bathroom in the world.   
As Olivia got ready for bed at one o’clock at night she decided she wouldn’t give up on this guy. She was going to find him sooner or later and her and her squad were going to suffer until they found him. The only problem was whenever they got a lead it was at the expense of someone else’s life. Olivia laid in bed and thanked god the next day was going to be a Saturday so she could catch up on the sleep she had been missing. She checked her phone and saw she got a couple of texts from her squad making sure she had gone home to get some rest. She rolled her eyes, she never was a big fan of workplace relationships, and went to bed.

+++

“What the hell are we doing in a place like this?” Boze asked as she followed Damien, the strangely dressed guy who seemed confident in his robes and his ways. She had only been with him a few days and was still a little confused about his interest in her but she decided not to question it, he always talked about strange things like ‘sanctums’ and ‘sling rings’ and some type of weird ‘eye’ with a funny name. She stayed with him though, it’s not like she had anything better to do.  
Ever since Boze’s mother and father found out about her powers when she was fourteen they were never too kind to her. They didn’t understand her, never let her use her abilities, and cursed her as a daughter. When she was sixteen she ran away to NYC where she was able to make a small living as a magician of some sorts, people didn’t understand her abilities at first glance and always called it magic when in reality she didn’t just make things disappear, she made them disappear and absorbed their power to which she could transform into fire or light, or electricity. But now she had Damien who would always praise her abilities and understood they science behind them, something she never had growing up.   
“Okay it’s not like I found you in the prettiest place in the world, we are going to find a new friend here.” Damien said as he lead the way through the club.  
“I mean if you count people like this as friends then okay.” Boze quipped back, they were in a strip club after all and she felt immensely uncomfortable about the scantily clad women parading around her. Damien seemed absolutely fine and even had his hood off for once.   
Finally they made it to the back of the club where all the action was happening. A young blonde women was dancing provocatively around the pole set up, her short blonde and tousled hair fell perfectly over her face as she threw her head back. The crowd was going absolutely wild in the trashy joint, it wasn’t even a high end club. Soon her routine ended and she left the pole and collected the several tips that were practically being thrown at her. Boze adjusted her beenie on her head and followed Damien again as he went to intercept the stripper.  
“A lovely tip for the lovely lady.” Damien said casually as he sat down next to the blonde who was seated at the bar now. She bit her lip and put on a fake smile until she saw the amount of the tip which truly satisfied her and the smile plastered on her face became real.   
“So who might you be?” She asked in a voice that sounded like velvet. Boze plopped down on a barstool and told the bartender to give her a shot of something with the most alcohol content that he had, she needed something to wipe her memory of this place.  
“I could ask you the same thing.” Damien replied in a voice that was almost equally as sexual as the girls. Boze just rolled her eyes, for a guy dressed so strange she found he could be effortlessly charming, it was almost creepy.  
“Juliet.” She replied.  
“What about your real name?” The girl rolled her eyes and sighed then moved so she was millimeters away from Damien’s ear and he could feel her breath on his skin.  
“Courtney” she whispered, Damien’s face curled into a smile that seemed excited yet slightly malice.  
“Damien.” He replied. She stuck out her hand to which he pressed a gentle kiss on the back of it, Courtney blushed and Boze waved over another shot. Boze was slightly uneasy, Courtney was getting flirted with and all Boze got was a shady guy approaching her in a goth club. 

+++

Things weren’t going to be as easy as Wes thought. First of all, the only thing he had to go off of to find Mari and Flitz’s friend was a picture and he didn’t seem like the type of guy to have an Instagram. Second, Mari and Flitz had never really been to New York City even though they lived there, and they had only lived there for about three days but never left the house.   
“This place is just so huge, nothing like Kamar-Taj.” Mari said in defense. On top of that when Mari and Flitz wanted to go out and look for Damien Wes wouldn’t even let them outside.  
“You can’t just walk around New York in robes and sashes, we are trying to keep a low profile. You also can’t just walk around with a magical bow and a spiritual sword without getting stopped by the police, you just can’t do stuff like that.” Wes said in a muffled voice because his hands were completely covering his face.   
“But I’m even wearing my neutral colored robes!” Flitz argued.  
“And how am I supposed to defend us if I don’t have my sword, it’s my chosen relic!” Mari interjected. Wes just scoffed and shook his head and ended up going down the street where the thrift store was so he could get some clothes for the two. Both ended up in a pair of jeans and basic t-shirts, he also got Flitz a baseball cap and Mari a pair of sunglasses.   
Wes also gave the two of them small pocket knives that he forced them to clip on the inside of their pockets and both of them just wore their sling rings instead of having them clipped, hopefully they wouldn’t have to use them. Finally they were ready to head out and try and find this so called Damien.


	5. Boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so sorry for not updating recently. I just had midterms and I'm getting back into the swing of things with school, however this chapter is pretty long so hopefully that can make up for the lack of updates. Thanks so much for reading and don't be afraid to give me feedback and suggestions for upcoming fics, thank you!

Shayne walked down the busy hallway going unnoticed. A pair of glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose, his messy blond hair was combed into a neat quiff, and he was dressed in gray dress pants and a light blue button up with the sleeves rolled up. He looked attractive but not too attractive, bland but not too bland, perfectly fitting into the space around him. Shayne pushed the mail cart with a brisk pace and delivered the proper envelopes and packages to people’s work spaces. Soon he made his way up to the third floor and while he was in the elevator in the way up he turned on his phone recorder so he would be able to catch the incoming information.  
When Shayne wasn’t out taking out his marks, doing some occasional carpentry work, shopping for expensive things, and traveling to various places in Europe he collected information. Sometimes it was for a buyer but for the most part is was for himself, thus the reason why he was at SHIELD’s base in NYC. He knew that the people tracking his case worked here under the command of Ian Hecox and the head of his case was a woman by the name of Olivia Sui. So as anyone would, he kept tabs on her buy occasionally dressing up like a mailroom boy and sneaking into the office where she worked. Shayne also knew her schedule and knew that at around 2:15 she ate lunch in the break room with her friend Keith Leak Jr. So Shayne made his rounds on the third floor and parked his cart outside the break room and then went inside to grab a water bottle out of the vending machine.  
When he got inside the room he saw Olivia sitting at the lunch table with an unopened tupperware in front of her, she was talking to Keith about something in a low voice but Shayne’s improved hearing could pick up what she was saying.  
“Dude, I really don’t know what I’m going to do. Ian probably doesn’t want me to continue working this case if I can’t get anything on this guy and he’ll probably give it to someone more experienced.” Olivia said sadly. She slowly opened her tupperware and jammed her fork into the salad inside.  
“Don’t say that Liv, before you got on this case no one even knew about this guy and the only person more experienced than you is Natasha Romanoff who is nowhere to be found.” Keith reassured. Olivia just rolled her eyes. “And Liv, I know you don’t like to hear this but this hitman you’ve been tracking isn’t even the worse high level criminal we’ve encountered. His latest mark, that Wall Street guy, was embezzling millions of dollars and his other suspected kills were doing even worse stuff.”  
“Keith, we can’t just let some guy go out killing people even if they’re bad. That’s why we have a justice system.” Olivia defended.  
“But even if those criminals did go to court most of them were wealthy enough to afford expensive lawyers which means they wouldn’t be properly punished for the crimes they committed.” Olivia just rolled her eyes at Keith’s response, he was always so insightful but sometimes his wisdom could be infuriating. “Hey, isn’t that the mailroom guy you were talking about two weeks ago?” Keith whispered changing the subject. Olivia glaced across the room and saw Shayne who was drinking his water and checking his phone. Shayne kept calm, he needed to show that he couldn’t hear them and that he didn’t know them. He prepared himself in case he had to fight his way out of the situation, Olivia had found something out about him.  
“Shit.” Olivia whispered quietly to her friend, “What do I do? He’s cute and I’m a mess. Why did you mention this to me I need at least a full month to mentally prepare myself to see him again.” Keith started laughing at his friend’s comment and Shayne tried to keep a straight face. This situation went in the complete opposite direction than he thought it would.  
“Go talk to him! I’m sure he’s nice, he’s only just a mailroom guy so it shouldn’t be hard.”  
“Are you crazy?” Olivia whisper-yelled.  
“Liv, you’ve literally spoken to terrorists who threatened to blow your brains out, talking to this guy will be a breeze.” Keith said, Olivia nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. Keith gave her a thumbs up and she went over to Shayne. Shayne looked up from his phone and pushed up his glasses, he looked dorky but that hot kind of dorky that made Olivia weak in the knees.  
“Um, hey how’s it going?” Olivia asked trying to sound nonchalaunt. “So I’ve seen you around here, when did you start working?” She was internally panicking on the inside. Shayne looked at the young woman, it was strange coming in such close contact with a person he knew almost everything about. She was 24, born in China and moved to America when she was a toddler, used to be a ballerina until she injured herself, and joined SHIELD when she was fresh out of high school. She also liked going out for hot pot, yoga, and most of all she absolutely hated him; but she didn’t know that the mail boy she had been swooning over was the cause of most of her troubles. So instead Shayne gave her a signature smile and put his phone in her pocket.  
“About two months ago, it’s only a part time gig though I’m usually doing carpentry work when I’m not here.” Shayne said in a friendly manner, at least he wasn’t telling a complete lie. Olivia just nodded and he say faint blush forming on her cheeks. “It’s nice though,” he continued, “even if I’m just in the mail room it’s still nice working here. The work that you and the others do is amazing.”   
“Oh, thank you that’s very kind of you.” Olivia said, she looked down at her shoes and brushed a strand of hair behind her ears. “Can I catch your name?” She asked.   
“Robert” Shayne said holding up his identification card that showed him giving the same smile with the same hair style and the same glasses. He smiled at Olivia and tucked the card in his back pocket. “May I ask for yours?”  
“It’s Olivia, Olivia Sui. I work in the field for the most part alongside my friend Keith over there,” she gestured to where Keith was sitting but he was gone, probably telling the other members of the squad what was happening, “and a couple other members.” Olivia said with furrowed brows because her friend was gone. Shayne nodded and leaned against the counter. He wasn’t the tallest guy, only average height, but he almost towered over Olivia. Mainly due to his broad stature thanks to being a super soldier but the woman was tiny.   
“Would it be inappropriate if I asked you out for dinner?” Olivia asked suddenly. Her knees buckled and Shayne raised his brows. He certainly wasn’t expecting something like this. “I know we just learned one another’s names but I mean, what’s there to lose?” Olivia looked at Shayne hopefully and he looked back at her, relaxed his face, and asked himself the same question.  
What did he have to lose?   
The answer was a lot.  
“Only if I get to pick.” He found himself saying. Olivia smiled and scribbled her number on a napkin on the kitchenette countertop and handed it to him. They bid one another farewell and she left to return to work. Shayne let out an audible sigh, what had he gotten himself into?

+++

After an adventurous day of exploring the city in the hopes of trying to find Damien, the team of three did not turn out to be the most victorious. However they had gotten a tip that a man matching Damien’s description stopped by a small strip club in the city and was asking for a woman that went by the name of Juliet. After some asking around they found out that ‘Juliet’s’ name was actually Courtney Miller but none of the three knew why Damien would be asking for her. They also got notice that a smaller woman with darker skin was accompanying Damien but neither Flitz or Mari knew of anyone looking like that. It was a small lead but other than that they came up with nothing. On a much lighter note Mari and Flitz did try a churro for the first time and seemed to enjoy that.  
In fact there were several things that Mari and Flitz had never experienced. They explained that it was due to the fact that they grew up secluded in the mountains for their entire lives and lived off the land for the most part. Wes wasn’t much better, Hydra had wiped his mind of almost everything. While he knew of things he didn’t know if he had ever experienced them or liked them. An example would be that he knew what music was, but he didn’t know if he had ever liked the Beatles or not and he didn’t know what kind of music he even liked in the first place. Ever since he had left Hydra several years ago he had to learn things almost all over again, even though he knew his way around an M40 rifle he didn’t really know what YouTube was and only just got the hang of his Samsung phone.  
“What was he like?” Wes asked. It was late that night, nearing midnight. Flitz was tired from the days events and had gone to bed but Mari had stayed up and was practicing with her sword up on the third floor, similar to how she worked with her energy rope the night Wes had met her.  
“Who?” Mari asked, pausing her movements and was left holding a position with her sword out in front of her as she was in a lunge.  
“Your friend Damien. You and Flitz speak so fondly of him.” Wes responded. Mari sheathed her sword and looked down at the ground. Even though this whole time she had been in New York and she was thinking about finding Damien she never took the time to think about him, actually properly think about him and remember him. Remember him as he once was. Mari kneeled beside Wes on the floor and looked out the large circular window with him.   
“Damien was wonderful.” She said quietly. Wes looked over at Mari in the dim candle light of the room. The light of the moon illuminated her face ever so slightly and in the quiet they heard the sounds of the city echoing around them. “We were best friends, we grew up together because just like us Damien was brought to Kamar-Taj when he was only a child.” Mari felt around on her burgundy sash on her waist and pulled out a small polaroid picture and handed it to Wes.  
“That’s us when we were teenagers.” She said softly. Wes looked at the back of it and on the back it said ‘2003’. “I’m the oldest out of all of us so when this was taken I was 19, Flitz was 16, and Damien was only 13. Just a baby.” She pointed at the three of them, all adorned in robes only Mari’s were pink and purple and Flitz’s were deep shades of blue, and Damien had on orange ones. He smiled at the photo, Mari hadn’t changed much despite the fact she was 14 years older. Only in this photo her hair was very dark brown and instead of one long braid it was down around her face.  
Flitz didn’t seem much different either instead he just had different glasses and was only slightly taller than Mari in the photo. She explained that he had a growth spurt when he was 17 and suddenly towered over her. Mari almost started crying when she looked at Damien in the photo. He really was just a child, the photo was taken on his thirteenth birthday and everyone in the sanctuary had thrown him a party. Damien was the most loved no denying that, he was the sweetest boy you had ever met and loved to give out hugs despite the fact he was incredibly shy and hid behind his thick rimmed glasses and shaggy brown hair.   
“Flitz and I uh-” Mari sniffled and wiped a tear from her cheek, “we pooled our savings together to get him the polaroid that this photo was taken on. He made everyone promise that they wouldn’t get him a gift but we remembered that he once mentioned how cool polaroids were so we went into town and got him one. God you should’ve seen how much he had cried, he had to wipe his glasses like five times because they were so tear stained.” Mari was practically sobbing at this point so Wes pulled her in for a hug. He small body was almost engulfed in his and as she cried he pet her hair and whispered soft ‘sh’s’ to remind her he was still there.  
“God, he was just the sweetest kid. I’m sure he still is but we have to find him because he’s getting caught up in stuff he can’t handle.” Mari said as she pulled away.  
“What kind of stuff?” Wes asked.  
“Well, Damien isn’t just a Master Wes, he was brought to the mountain for similar reasons as I was. Damien is clairvoyant, he can see and feel things that will happen in the future almost as if he has a third eye. He came to the mountain to learn how to control it but after he graduated a year before Flitz and I it got the best of him.” Mari explained.  
“Brought to the mountain for similar reasons such as you?” He asked.  
“Yes, I have abilities and so does Flitz?”  
“Wait like more than the abilities you already have?”  
“Yes, here look.” Mari stood up and closed her eyes. She moved her hands around her body and a clear, window like shield appeared in front of her. It was a blue sheen and was see-through. “Force fields, I can make them and Flitz can levitate.” Wes nodded, he’d dealt with so much surprise the past few days that things like this didn’t surprise him anymore.   
“So what kind of stuff got the best of him?” Wes asked.  
“He started talking about how he saw the death of our planet.” Mari stated. Wes looked at her in confusion as she sat back down with him by the window. “He said that if we continue living the way we do then we will all die, so he wanted to purge our planet and only keep those who were ‘superior’. Flitz and I along with the others warned him not to play god and the Ancient One helped him control these thoughts so after a while things died down. He graduated, the youngest to ever graduate but he was so gifted in the Mystic Arts, claimed the Daggers of Daveroth as his relic, and left to guard the New York Sanctum. Soon after he left Doctor Stephen Strange reported he went missing in the night and before he left his state of sanity deteriorated. Now he’s somewhere out there and we need to find him.” Mari said quietly. Wes could tell how much she missed her friend and he longed to have such companionship with someone like that someday.  
“I miss him.”  
“I know.”


	6. The Final Member

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thank you so such for your support and I'm so so sorry that this update is coming out so late. However I would like to announce that I have a spotify under the name Becky Sub where I've made some cool writing playlists, and one for my fic Who Knew that includes all the music I mentioned in the fic. I plan on making more for upcoming works and if you want to check them out feel free!   
> Again, thank you so much for all your reads, comments, and likes. It means so much to me!

“This is it, this is where the last one is.” Damien muttered to himself. Last night he had retrieved Courtney Miller, the woman who could possess people’s bodies and tonight he was going to retrieve the last member of his team that would help him with his plan. The trio consisting of Damien, Courtney, and Boze stood outside a wealthy apartment complex and were a sight to see. Damien was still dressed in his dark robes, Boze was tired and in a baggy sweatshirt and beanie, and Courtney was bright eyed and bushy tailed like always. Boze had already decided that she did not like Courtney at all, she was too happy all the time and a huge dingbat. Plus Damien showed lots of favor towards her and it’s not like Boze wanted attention she was just confused as to why Damien showed so much fascination with her.  
They went into the complex and rode the elevator up to the penthouse suite. Who was up there Boze didn’t know but whoever it was seemed different from the rest of them. Boze was essentially homeless before Damien found her and Courtney worked at a shitty strip joint, whoever this was had money. But Boze just shrugged it off, that’s what she had been doing for the past few days after all, and even though she didn’t know exactly what Damien was planning she knew it couldn’t be that bad. He was providing her with a place to live and food to eat, so she didn’t want to push her luck by asking too many questions.  
Once they reached the top floor the doors opened up to reveal a trashed apartment with an incredible view of the city. Boze walked around, kicked a pile of dirty clothes, and walked towards the window. The sky outside was gloomy and gray and a thick layer of fog hung over the tops of the buildings like a blanket. “Damien, what the hell are we doing here?” She asked as she turned around and watched Courtney follow him like a lost puppy.  
“Who the fuck is in here?” A voice yelled from across the apartment. A figure emerged from the back hallway. He had pink tinted glasses, messy multi-colored hair, slight scruff, and strange mismatched clothing. Boze recognised him, he was Noah Grossman aka the son of a wealthy Wall Street millionaire who was the black sheep of the family. Noah was known for partying and was always in the tabloids for either fucking some upper east side girl or being caught with designer drugs. He never got in trouble though, his dad always bailed him out and when he wasn’t out partying or throwing parties in his luxury penthouse he was in the hamptons catching rays. Boze hated him, he took his wealth for granted, and now she was standing in his filthy apartment with two other weirdos.  
“Oh hello there” Noah said in a raspy voice when he saw Courtney. The blond blushed and Damien stepped in front of her, ready to get down to business. “Who the hell are you and what the hell are you wearing?” The young man asked.  
“Alright I’m tired of fancy introductions, how would you like to join me and my cohorts to help save the world?” Damien asked. Boze rolled her eyes and Noah just burst out laughing.  
“You’re fucking crazy, get the hell out of my apartment before I call security!” Noah said between laughter. He clutched his stomach and was pointing at the door. Damien the clapped his hands quickly and as he pulled them apart a glowing red rope that sparked. Boze took a step back and Courtney ‘ood’ and looked like she wanted to reach out and touch it.   
“Cut the crap Noah, I know about your gifts and your computer skills. You’re wickedly smart but also incredibly stupid, you cracked into Tony Stark’s database when you were sixteen.” Damien said confidently. Noah looked dumbfounded and slowly nodded his head. “I need you to do something like that again.” Damien closed his hands together again and the sparking red rope dispersed into the air.  
“What do you need me to do?” Noah asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting on his couch. Boze followed suit and plopped in a lounge chair comfortably.  
“The SHIELD database, they have a couple files and codes that I need.”  
“What are you planning?” Boze cut in. Everyone turned to look at her and she just shrugged her shoulders. “What? You can’t just be vague as hell all the time, I would like a general idea of what we’re doing. Why do you have all of us anyways?”  
“As I’ve said before, I need all of you to help me on my quest to reclaim this planet. I plan on starting with this city first.” Damien explained.  
“Okay, but can you exaggerate a little more?” Boze asked. Damien turned to her and in a plain voice he said,  
“I plan to get SHIELD codes to activate the short-range, computer operated bombs in their NYC headquarters so it will blow up. And then from there in all the panic while their systems are down we will download the software that can help us break in to the basement level of SHIELD which is more secure. It houses a biological weapon that I’m in need of for my plan. Once security is down from the explosions that will happen in the west wing of the headquarters we will sneak in amongst the panic, get downstairs, and Noah will have downloaded the software and open up the doors for us so we can take the weapon. Boze and Courtney will come with me on this mission, Noah will work from this apartment, and it will happen tonight.” He said quickly. Boze’s breath got caught in her throat, she didn’t know she was involved in something like this and now wanted to get out. But even she knew that it was too late. 

+++

Shayne looked through his closet, which was the size of a guest room, and picked out various items of clothing that he could possibly wear. He had been talking to Olivia over text almost all afternoon and he found that she was incredibly charming, which worried him because she was essentially his arch nemesis and he hers. He chose the place where they would eat, a lovely diner that had neon lighting, exceptional cheeseburgers, and was close to an abundance of other cafes and shops they could potentially visit afterwards. The reason why Shayne said he wanted to pick the location was so Olivia wouldn’t come to pick him up and he would have the control over the date so he knew what to wear and what vehicle he would arrive in.  
Despite Olivia’s protests Shayne insisted on picking her up, they were going to the same place anyways and he always loved riding around the city on his bike. Besides, she didn’t live too far from him anyways (not like he knew already) so he said it was the least he could do.  
‘If you hadn’t asked me out in the office I would’ve never even gained the courage to speak to you in the first place.’ he said over text. The text made Olivia blush and it’s not like it wasn’t a complete lie, Shayne never would’ve spoken to her in the office unless she approached him but he never knew that Olivia had the intention on asking him out on a date.   
The outfit Shayne had chosen to wear was a simple, dark blue, Grateful Dead t-shirt that he paired with his least-expensive pair of black jeans along with his black leather riding jacket and his dark green combat boots. The jacket was fittet enough to look stylish but also had a lovely interior pocket that could hold his small Glock 26 Gen 3 and a switchblade just in case something happened. Shayne always carried a weapon on him, an old habit he kept with him that he learned from his previous line of work. Shayne went to the lower level of his apartment complex where his small and person garage was that held an assortment of motorbikes and cars. It was the middle of autumn but luckily it was still relatively warm so he opted to go for one of his bikes for the night. He opted for his 2015 model Yamaha FZ-07 because it was one of his older and cheaper bikes. Shayne grabbed one of his spare helmets after throwing on his own sport bike helmet that was jet black similar to the bike itself. He placed the spare helmet into the side compartment and sped out of the garage towards Olivia’s apartment.   
Olivia on the other hand was struggling on her end. After getting off work that friday she immediately took a shower and while standing in her robe she stared at her closet and came to the realisation that all the clothes she owned were work related. Everything was either gray, navy, or black and consisted of button downs, slacks, and blazers or her field uniform. Olivia had never realised how badly her work life had consumed almost her entire life.  
In a panic she texted her friend Sarah who only lived about a block away and in less than 15 minutes Sarah was at Olivia’s apartment with a suitcase full of clothes she could possibly wear on the date along with an assortment of makeup products because all Olivia owned was black mascara and chapstick. Sarah picked out a pair of light washed, ripped skinny jeans and a pale pink crop top that paired with a pair of high-top vans and a black bomber jacket. On top of that she lightly curled Olivia’s hair and did a natural makeup look for her so she wouldn’t be too overwhelmed. Besides, the date was supposed to be casual anyways.   
“Okay no offense, but you look like a completely different person right now.” Sarah said in an impressed tone. Olivia nodded at her reflection in the mirror and thanked Sarah for her help. Shortly after Olivia had finished getting ready Shayne had texted her saying that he was outside. The two girls peared down at the street from Olivia’s window to see a very cool looking Shayne leaning up against his sleek sports bike. Sarah squealed in excitement and said that Shayne was “literally the cutest guy I’ve ever seen!” and ushed Olivia down the stairs to the main lobby of her apartment.   
“I uh, never really suspected you to be the type of guy who rides a motorcycle!” Olivia said in surprise as she stood in front of Shayne who was smiling at her from his spot on the side of the street. “Are you sure this thing is safe?” She asked.  
“Positive.” Shayne said with a reassuring smile. He held out his spare helmet to her and asked, “Do you trust me?” Olivia paused for a brief moment, her nerves getting the best of her for a split second. But se pushed those thoughts aside and took the helmet out of Shayne’s hand.  
“Yes” she said confidently. Shayne took her hand and helped her on the bike then mounted it himself. Olivia leaned forward and wrapped her arms loosely around Shayne’s torso. He started the bike and it let out a loud rumble, and pushed off from the side of the street. The bike lurched forward and Olivia’s arms instinctively wrapped around his torso just a little bit tighter as she let out a small squeal. Shayne let out a breathy laugh and for a brief moment he lived in the moment of this date, picturing the two of them as normal people. As the bike maneuvered through traffic Shayne imagined what it would be like to not have the memories he had, and painted himself as a normal boy taking a lovely girl out on a date.


	7. Explosions

Olivia and Shayne had a wonderful time at the diner. Their small corner booth was full of laughter and light hearted questions such as ‘How’d you get your job at SHIELD?’ and ‘What sort of carpentry work do you do?’. Both also ate their burgers in a painfully messy way to the point where Olivia had gotten a smear of ketchup on the side of he face and Shayne had to gently wipe it off with the corner of his napkin. The date was almost like a scene in a movie, a very cheesy nineties rom com. But Shayne had to suppress the urge to go any further with her, this date was one of the most painful things he had to endure and considering he went through brainwashing, murdering innocent people, and was now left with painful memories of Nazi’s. But this date, this date was a whole new kind of hell.  
Because Shayne had all of his past memories wiped from his mind he now had to relive things all over again, and this date was the first time ever since he was practically ‘remade’ that he had ever experienced the feeling of yearning and heartbreak. Sure he had flings every now and then, he could afford plenty of them, but this was different. He was slowly learning that Olivia was incredibly charming, kind, beautiful, and everything that he could never have. She could never find out who he is and he could never have someone like her. This date, this date he thought would be easy and a one-time thing, made him want more but at the same time he knew for a fact that he could never be with this perfect girl. And it absolutely killed him.  
After dinner Olivia suggested that they go on a walk because Central Park was close by. The skies had cleared up and the stars were out which glittered along side the fairy lights that were strung up in the branches of the trees inside the park. Olivia was smiling and explaining a funny thing that one of her coworkers did but Shayne was just paying attention to her laugh. It was infectious and pretty, the opposite of his which sounded like he was crying. He just smiled and lightly laughed beside her in the park while she wildly moved her arms as she told the story. They were so caught up in the moment it felt like music was playing and the crowd around them was drowned out until suddenly there was screaming and people running around them.   
Shayne and Olivia looked up and around them and over the treetops they saw part of a building explode and collapse along the New York City skyline. Shayne felt his mind and body go into protection mode as he shielded Olivia as they watched the building burn. His brain started playing flashbacks of his past, people burning, fire in the sky, guns being shot, guns shot by himself. Shayne blinked hard and shook his head.  
“Oh my god that’s our workplace!” Olivia shouted, Shayne looked up at the building and realised it was. It was the expensive and modern looking NYC SHIELD headquarters and the west wing was being blown up and burned.  
Shayne and Olivia rushed through the crowds and soon they approached the building. Screams were heard in the air. Olivia has running her fingers through her hair in panic and Shayne ghosted his fingers over the gun in the back of his jeans. The two maneuvered themselves through the panic and finally made it to the front of the building where Olivia swiped herself in with her keycard. Alarms were sounding inside and agents were rushing around all over the place. They ran up the stairs while Olivia was on the phone with Keith who was working that night.   
Once they reached the floor Shayne followed Olivia to where she worked, several guys behind computers were there, all furiously typing away. Keith was giving her the rundown, the west wing was almost completely obliterated and luckily there were only injuries bt so far no casualties.   
“We don’t even know why it was targeted, the west wing was being prepped for renovation anyways so no one even works there at the moment. Nothing of value.” Keith said to the others. Shayne thought it through in his head and realised the west wing was only blown up for one reason.  
“Oh my god it’s a trap!” One of the computer guys shouted. He waved everyone over to his screen.  
“What the hell do you mean Joven?” Olivia asked.  
“The basement was breached, I’m picking up a signal that one of the doors was opened without a keycard but instead hacked from the outside. They left a trace in the code.” Shayne watched from the corner of the room as they all looked at the screen, he then glanced at the door and without a noise he dashed out of the room to the basement.   
“So how’d the date go?” Keith whispered in Olivia’s ear as they watched Joven track the code. Olivia’s eyes widened.  
“Oh my god my date! Oh my god Shayne!” She looked around the room to try and find him but he wasn’t there.   
“Who’s Shayne?” Joven asked. Olivia ran out of the room and down the stairs into the lobby. She then tried calling Shayne but his phone went straight to voicemail, saying something about not having any signal. Olivia put the pieces together and ran down the stairs to the basement level.   
Shayne was already downstairs and watched as two young women were following behind a figure dressed in strange robes. He stalked them from several feet behind, being sure to stay close behind and not make single sound. Shayne had his fingers tightly wrapped around his small handgun ready to attack in case something happened. The small group walked down the corridors and seemed to know exactly where they were going. They approached a door at the end of the hallway with a biohazard sign in the red paint. The tall, dark haired man murmured something along the lines of ‘We’re at the entrance’ and a small beep was heard and the red light at the top of the doorframe turned green.   
The group entered but Shayne stayed behind, watching the scene by staying hidden behind a wall. Hopefully Olivia hadn’t noticed he was gone and after he finished watching these people he could just leave this whole thing behind, Olivia included. After a few minutes the group reappeared from the door, the small dark skinned girl was holding a metal briefcase and they headed back the direction they came.   
Shayne took a deep breath and just as they were about to round the corner he was hidden behind he lunged out in front of them, hitting the man in the robes with the butt of his gun and kicking the knee of the small girl. The blond screamed out in shock, the man stumbled backwards, and the small girl fell to the ground. Shayne cocked his gun quickly and shot at the man several times and ended up wounding his shoulder in his second shot.   
Sounds of gunshots rang out into the air as Olivia rushed through the hallways of the basement and she stopped running until she saw Shayne, the unassuming mailroom boy, beating three strangely dressed people mercilessly. She saw a man in strange robes clutching his shoulder and a blond woman trying to help him up. Shayne shot the foot of a woman holding a metal briefcase as he wrestled it out of her hands.  
“What the fuck?” Olivia shouted. The four involved in the commotion paused for a brief second to look at Olivia but then resumed their fight but also came for her. The brunette man lunged at her but Shayne blocked his arms and slung him to the ground, pointing his gun at the other man’s forehead. “Shayne no!” Olivia screamed which caught Shayne off guard. The brunette man expertly put Shayne in a hold and slammed his body to the ground then wrestled the briefcase away from him.  
The three started running away while Olivia was firing bullets in their direction. Then suddenly the man was waving his arms in a circle which created a fiery ring in the air, and the three ran through it. The ring shut and Olivia was just firing at nothing. She groaned and stamped her foot, and turned to Shayne who was now off the ground and trying to recompose himself.   
“What the fuck was that all about?” She snapped at him. Shayne’s face hardened and turned menacing and dark. His muscles flexed and his finger twitched around the trigger of the gun. Olivia took a small step back in fear and Shayne took a deep breath, shook his head quickly, and looked at Olivia with less of a death glare.  
“Nothing” He said coldly.  
“Nothing?” Olivia said exasperated, “How is beating the shit out of someone and owning a handgun nothing?” She pushed him but it didn’t do much because he was pretty sturdy. “Who the hell are you?” She asked him.  
Shayne looked down at her, eyes sad and tired. The moment he had been dreading had come come so soon and now all he just wanted to die, the one thing he was genetically engineered no to do. He took a step backwards and looked around briefly for an exit, he didn’t find one and now he was ust boxed in.   
“I, I uh-”  
“You’re him.” Olivia said quietly. Her face looked so small and innocent as she pieced things together but soon it turned malice and she whipped out her gun again. “You’re the fucking monster that I’ve been looking for! I’ve spent days looking for your stupid face and now here you are! Pretending to like me and take advantage of me and use me!” Olivia screamed at me. Shayne had his hands up in defense, his fingers away from the trigger of his gun. He felt his heart break and maybe if Olivia shot him his body wouldn’t heal in time and he could just escape all of this.  
“It’s not like that-”  
“It’s exactly like that!” She shouted at him. Shayne took in a shaky breath. He hated this but he knew he brought it upon himself. Olivia’s phone rang and she groaned as she answered it. It was Keith, Shayne could hear his voice.   
“Olivia there’s some weird people here asking about your boyfriend.” Keith said in a shaky voice. What weird people? Shayne didn’t talk to anyone!  
“What weird people? What kind of weird?” Olivia asked.  
“Two are in some weird ass clothes, the other is hella tall and had silver hair. He says he knows your boyfriend.”  
“He’s not my boyfriend.”  
“Either way he’s asking about him.” Olivia hung up the phone and rolled her eyes. Shayne’s brows were furrowed, what the hell was Wes doing here?


	8. Weapons Drawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a late update. I know there's a select group of people who know some disturbing events that took place recently and because of that it's been difficult for me to write even a sentence down. However I think I've come out of that block and I'm now determined to write more in response to these events and for this person. Thank you so much for sticking with me.

To say the the situation was awkward would be an understatement. After the explosion went off Wes, Mari, and Flitz all heard because they weren’t far away from the SHIELD headquarters. When they rushed to the scene via sling ring Wes caught a glimpse of a very familiar sports bike parked on the side of the road along with the same sharp black helmet. After rolling his eyes he lead Flitz and Mari through the panic until they reached a few guys monitoring computers and security cameras and he asked for Shayne.  
Finally when Shayne and Olivia arrived back from the basement the two super soldiers had an awkward reunion and Joven said they needed to go to a safehouse. Flitz suggested that they take them back to the sanctum and that it was the safest place in the city. After a little convincing everyone agreed that under the circumstances it was the best option. Olivia did not ride back with Shayne on his bike, she rode with Sohinki, one of her other tech guys that she worked with.  
Now they were all sitting on the third level of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Five SHIELD agents, Olivia, Keith, Joven, David, and Sohinki. Two Masters of the Mystic Arts, one of which who just made tea and was awkwardly passing it out to everyone. And two ex-assassines injected with super soldier serum and used to work for Nazis, one who was currently looking out the large circular window to avoid the gazes of everyone else in the room because they all hated him. Mari poured the tea into the several cups and cringed as they clinked together, causing disruption in the silence.   
“You know what, I’m done. Who the hell blew up our facilities and who was the strange man in all the robes that stole from us?” Olivia said loudly, jarring everyone from their zoned out states. Everyone kind of just looked around, with the exception of Shayne who continued to just look out the window. He was slowly realising how much he didn’t want to be there in the room full of people who hated him.  
“You said a man in dark robes with dark hair, correct?” Flitz asked.   
“Yes!” Olivia snapped back. Flitz took her anger as a form of confusion, he was sure over half of the people in the room were confused, so he knew she didn’t mean any offense. “Then that was Damien, it settles it then.”  
“But what was he doing in there? How did he get in such a high security facility? He doesn’t know a thing about computers similar to you and me.” Mari said.  
“Wait, wait, wait, you two know this guy?” Sohinki asked. Flitz and Mari nodded their heads and suddenly everyone in the room who worked at SHIELD started to lose their minds. Wes realised how big of a mistake this was, everything about it.  
“Hold the hell up, that means you guys are linked to him! This is a terrorist we’re talking about. This could mean that the two of you are possibly terrorists!” David shouted, pointing his fingers at the two Masters.   
“We come from a mountain that trains us is peace and tranquility!” Flitz defended.  
“Well apparently so did this Damien guy and look at him!” David snapped back. The SHIELD agents looked to Olivia to see what they should do and she thought about their next move.  
“The two of you are being placed under arrest for being possible allies of a terrorist. And you,” She turned her head to look at Shayne, “You Shayne Topp or whoever you are, are being placed under arrest for murder.”  
Flitz and Mari took defensive stances and moved their hands so their glowing robes flowed with energy between their fingers in response to David, Joven, and Sohinki drawing their weapons. The three SHIELD agents took a step back, not knowing how to react to such a thing. Olivia moved towards Shayne with her glock drawn but he swiftly kicked it out of her hand and into the air where he caught it and directed it back at Olivia.  
“Holy shit guys, the last thing we need to do is start a fight!” Wes shouted, holding his arms up and stepping into the middle of the circle where all the action was happening. “In fact the best thing we can do right now is all work together!”  
“How the hell are we going to work with a murderer and two people who corroborated with a terrorist?” Olivia spate back. She quickly pulled out her knife and started to lunge at Shayne but Wes’ instincts broke through and he grabbed it out of her hand and pushed her onto the floor in the blink of an eye.   
“I’ve corroborated with terrorists and so did Shayne and if you were to lock him up for murder you would have to lock me up too!” He shouted. There was a pause in the room as if everyone was holding their breath. “Show them Shayne.” Wes stated flatly. Shayne’s eyes grew wide and he shook his head.  
“What? N-No! Wes-”  
“I don’t care how embarrassing it is we have to show them!” Shayne took in a deep breath and at the same time the two men lifted up their shirts and turned their backs to the group. Everyone took a sharp breath in.  
“Oh, oh my god!” Joven whispered under his breath.  
“I should’ve fucking known it!” They heard Olivia shout. “They’re fucking Nazis!”   
There on the two mens backs were the symbols for not just Hydra, but also the Nazi flag tattooed on their upper backs. The Nazi flag on top and the Hydra skull below it, they were both their permanently as disgusting reminders of who they were and who they were controlled by.   
“You might of heard of us, we were the projects created shortly after Tony Stark revealed he was Iron Man. We were created to ultimately kill him and many others alongside the Winter Soldier.” Shayne said defeatedly while shrugging his shirt back down.  
“You escaped.” Sohinki said. Wes and Shayne looked up at the smaller bearded man, around his neck was a small golden chain with a Star of David hanging off of it, making them feel even more guilty than they had before.  
“Yeah, we escaped. We left them and never looked back, they may have taken our memories but they can’t have us. Or at least who we are now.” Shayne replied. Sohinki nodded, almost as a sign of approval.  
“You still murder people.” Olivia said coldly.  
“I murder people who deserve to get killed.” Shayne said in almost a yelling tone, tired of the woman's constant hatred for him. “I’ve murdered rapists, rich who take from the poor, child molesters, and other murderers and hitmen who kill for fun. I don’t just kill whoever I chose I kill only for those who can’t and have good reason to!” Olivia glared at him but wiped her head away from him, taking her own turn to stare out the window in disdain.   
“Why was your friend after what was in the basement?” Joven asked Mari and Flitz, his weapon was now back in its holster and he was asking them in a friendlier way than before.  
“What was even in the basement to begin with?” Flitz asked.  
“It was a biochemical weapon the Avengers had taken off of Strucker back in 2015 in one of their raids. It was the possibility to mutate the DNA of people once it had gotten airborne, part of a big plan Strucker had before his ultimate demise by Ultron.” Sohinki said, his laptop was now out and he was looking through some of the SHIELD database files.  
“Oh shit.” Wes said under his breath.  
“Okay,” Mari said apprehensively, “Then I think I know what it was for.


	9. Reminiscing

Late at night Damien was in Noah Grossman’s apartment which had become a makeshift ‘base’ for him and his crew. He has huddled around the object he had stolen from the SHIELD headquarters, they labeled it as a biomechanical weapon that was deemed dangerous and manipulative but Damien rather saw it as something beautiful. The bringer of the new world that would only be filled with those of the superior genome. The weapon was a glowing blue and yellow mixture tightly concealed in a clear, glass, four by four inch box that had a metal port on the bottom meant to be attached to a device that would allow the mixture inside to become airborne. That was the next step, that and to possibly find others that would be willing to join him on his quest to reclaim the earth with its rightful people.   
The chemical mixture inside the glass box had the ability to manipulate the DNA of those who did not have strong genes or immune systems, so just about the majority of the population. However those with abilities, say for himself, his crew, and a few others would be safe from the virus that would infect the population. For those who were not immune, it would cause their skin to almost melt off, their brain to turn to mush, and practically become living corpses. A zombie apocalypse essentially, something Damien had only read about in the very few comic books he had read as a child.   
His childhood was something he hadn’t thought about in a long time yet as he sat in front of the mysterious glowing cube he found himself reminiscing in his memories. Damien thought about the quiet nights back in the mountains of Kamar-Taj where he lived in the small village community amongst the monks and his peers. His peers of course being Mari and Flitz, Mari being the oldest of the trio. He remembered how she would always rustle his hair and how she and Flitz were both phenomenal dancers despite not really learning from anyone other than themselves. The two were always able to make their fighting skills always look so delicate while his were always aggressive, but the Ancient One said he could use that to is advantage and rather scare off his opponents and avoid a conflict to begin with. The Ancient One always had a way of manipulating his insecurities into something worthwhile and meaningful. He always felt special in the mountains of Kamar-Taj, not just because he was the adored youngling but because they celebrated what he thought were his weaknesses.   
But soon after his thirteenth birthday, the same birthday where he received his polaroid camera, he started to have more visions than usual. While he knew of his clairvoyant visions and feelings they didn’t come too often and when they did it was only a flash of something, a window, a city, a friend, and they often came in dreams. But then they started to come when he was awake, and they were long and red and scary and soon they took over his state of mind. The young boy whose face once hid behind shaggy brown hair and thick rimmed glasses turned into the face of a man he had seen so many terrifying things that were constantly coming true. The once sweet boy became cold and standoffish, and he stopped wearing bright oranges, yellows, and reds and rather wore dark grays and blacks. Mari and Flitz of course noticed and so did the rest of the sanctuary. His graduation was a controversial choice and it was argued amongst the higher ups on whether he should’ve been allowed to graduate or not for several days, but ultimately they decided that perhaps graduation and independence would be a push in the right direction for Damien. But it wasn’t, and soon after Damien graduated and claimed his relic, he disappeared without a word. His polaroid camera was left on his bed, along with several pictures he had taken with it.   
Damien never denounced Kamar-Taj and its people, in fact at time he missed his friends and the misty mountaintops that he called home. But he knew that what he was doing now was for the best and in fact was going to create a better world for the people of Kamar-Taj and his friends. He was going to create a world that he and his friends could rule over, they would be seen as gods, and prevent the death that mankind was creating for the world they all lived on. Damien knew that once his plan was complete that his friends would understand his reasoning, until then he had to keep his distance. They were unstable at the moment, they just didn’t understand at the moment, but they would come around.   
Damien knew that Mari and Flitz had met a man named Wes who had a troubled past, he knew they were looking for him, he knew of Mari’s feeling towards Wes and Wes’s feelings towards Mari’s. He knew that Mari cried over him at times and Flitz often blamed himself for his disappearance, Damien could see not only the future but also the present, and he could feel what others were feeling his his visions. He was always going to be one step ahead and he knew that he could end the current inferior human race as they were destroying the very planet they lived on. It was going to be easy, after the destruction of New York City and most of its peoples he would rise like a phoenix from the ashes and become the leader that the city needed. From there, he had his partners would take control and have the human race within the palms of their hands. His power was going to be unmatched.

+++

“Okay, do you guys have any kind of idea of where your friend is?” Sohinki asked while he was settled behind his computer screen. It was late at night and the whole crew was still at the Sanctum Sanctorum. Mari and Flitz offered the SHIELD agents to stay just for the time being so they could ensure they were safe. After the explosion at the headquarters they were all a bit shaken and the Sanctum had an ample amount of room for them, Mari assured it was no big deal. Joven, David, and Sohinki had set up their computers and tech devices and Keith and Olivia had brought in some files they had on hand from their own apartments and were reading over those manually to gather more information on the weapon that was taken.  
“We know that he seemed to be talking to some sketchy people, like some girl who was a stripper and went by the name Juliet at the club. Her real name is apparently Courtney Miller, maybe you guys have something on her, she was apparently seen leaving the club with someone that matched Damien’s description.” Wes replied.  
“Oh, and he was also seen with a woman of darker skin and she was very small.” Mari added on. David nodded and typed away on his computer to find some stuff on this ‘Courtney Miller’ person. The description of the other woman was a bit too vague to make any other types on assumptions.  
“Okay, well this means that he could possibly be creating a team.” Keith said.  
“I think they were with him when he was stealing the weapon.” Shayne said just barely loud enough for the others to hear. Joven nodded and added that to the report. Other than that one statement Shayne had stayed relatively quiet for most of the night, the others seemed to not be too mad at him for the moment but he didn’t want to push it. He also managed to steer clear of Olivia for the time being. It was late and Shayne just felt like a nuisance at that point, he was just sitting there awkwardly in the corner of the room while everyone else worked. He decided that he should’ve left hours ago so he quietly stepped out of the loud room, grabbed his coat, and headed down the stairs of the large building so he could head home and probably never see these people ever again.   
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Shayne heard a voice say from behind him. He stopped adjusting the straps on his helmet and turned to see Olivia standing a few feet away from him on the landing of the stairs. Shayne just let out a deep breath and scoffed, not at her statement but at the idea that a few hours earlier he really believed that he and Olivia could actually have some type of romantic relationship.   
“What? Do you want to arrest me or something?” He asked dryly. Shayne zipped up his leather jacket and started to retie one his shoes.  
“No, I just thought that maybe you were going to stay and help me and the others with this whole situation.”  
“I don’t know anything.”  
“You just contributed.”  
“Yeah for the first time in like three hours.” There was silence and Shayne was about to shove his motorcycle helmet onto his head when Olivia walked towards him.  
“Just, just don’t go.” Olivia almost pleaded.  
“Why? I thought you hated me.” Shayne said in defense. At this point he just wanted to go home and get on with his life, his loveless and luxurious life.   
“I did.” Olivia replied.  
“Yeah, and what about now?” Shayne asked. Olivia looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows which created a confused expression all over her face.  
“I guess I’m not so sure.” She said. Shayne smiled, put his helmet on his head, and slowly walked out of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Olivia stood in the doorway of the building and watched as he mounted his motorcycle.  
“I know you’re having to share a very small room with your partner Keith tonight.” Shayne shouted as he started the loud engine of his bike, “I also know that I have a spare helmet, a large guestroom, and two bathrooms in by apartment. And I’m pretty sure the Sanctum only has one!” Olivia smirked at his statement, then she ran back inside to quickly grab her things.


	10. Penthouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thank you so much for keeping up with me and reading my stuff. It really means so much to me, I love reading your comments and hearing your feedback! Sorry for such a late update, this week for me has been pretty rough and very stressful so please just bare with me. Thank you again so much and here hoping for a faster update!

Olivia didn’t realise how well paying Shayne’s job was until she got to his apartment. Just stepping inside the lobby for his apartment complex leaked luxury and high prices. The ceilings had beautiful engravings, crown molding, intricate tile mosaics on the polished floors. Olivia’s mouth was slightly opened in awe at how beautiful the building was. Shayne lead her through the lobby and he waved to the man at the front desk and walked over to the elevators. He pulled out his wallet and a keycard and swiped it in the card reader in the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse. ‘A penthouse, the bastard lives in a penthouse.’ Olivia thought.  
The elevator quickly went up to the top floor and the doors opened up to a lavish living room with nice hardwood flooring, plush rugs, and beautiful furniture. Olivia expected Shayne to live in an ultra modern place but the stuff here looked almost handmade. The living room flowed into a nice dining room complete with a cherry wood table and matching chair set with nice upholstered seat cushions. Above the table was a grand chandelier and there was a China hutch in the corner filled with ornate dishware. Olivia peaked into another room and saw a large kitchen that made hers look like a joke.   
“So, this is nice.” She stated. Shayne was hanging up his jacket and helmet in the coat closet back by the elevator doors and he just shrugged. “Nice furniture set.”  
“Yeah it’s whatever, made it myself.” Shayne said casually. He reached out his hand in reference to Olivia’s jacket and she quickly took it off so he could hang it up.  
“You’re a carpenter?” Olivia asked.  
“Not everything I told you a couple of days ago was a complete lie you know.” Shayne said quietly. He ran his hand over the smooth wooden table in his living room and moved to the kitchen so he could grab something to drink. Olivia slowly walked out of the main entrance area and moved over to the living room where she got a better look at things. There was a large fireplace and on each side of the room were hallwas that seemed to lead to bedrooms. “So what made you come back?” Shayne asked as he was moving around in his kitchen, he was pulling out a couple pans and some food from the fridge.  
“What do you mean?” Olivia asked.   
“You went from going on a date with me, to hating my guts, to kind of tolerating me, and now you’re sleeping over in my apartment. I’m not opposing anything, just a little confused.” Shayne put some oil in the pan and let it sizzle for a moment before throwing in some thinly sliced beef. Next he pulled a rice cooker out from a cabinet and washed some rice in it before setting to down to cook. “So what gave you the change of heart?”  
“Um, I don’t know. Maybe your reasoning?” She said half heartedly.  
“Olivia I’ve known your opinions about me ever since you took my case and I know that that’s bullshit.” Shayne tossed the meat around in the pan then let it cook at a low heat and moved on to cutting carrots and rinsing bean sprouts. “Was it my rugged good looks?” He said jokingly. Olivia just rolled her eyes. ‘Rugged? There’s nothing rugged about him at all, the guy looks like chiseled marble.’ Olivia thought.  
“I think I just got tired of hating you.” Olivia said. “I spent the majority of my career tracing you down and now I have you, and you kill people yes but you kill bad people. And what’s worse, killing bad people or protecting them? The majority of them would be cut loose after trials.” Olivia started to pick at her nails and bite her lip. “And honestly what you told everyone, about how you and that other guy were a part of that group changed things. You didn’t just become a hitman because you wanted to, or for the money, you became a hitman because it was the only thing you knew how to do.”   
Olivia looked right at Shayne and he looked up from the spinach he was cooking. She was right, his memories were gone, the only thing he remembered were his kills and his training, not even feelings. The only thing he had left were his skills as a hitman. He smirked and took the spinach off the burner and moved over to the island where the other items he had cooked were. Shayne grabbed two bowls from a cabinet and spooned rice into them then he spooned the other ingredients on top and moved back over to the stove where he was frying two eggs. He placed them on top of the dish and handed one of the bowls to Olivia along with a spoon.  
“Bi bim bap?” Olivia asked as she took the bowl and spoon. Shayne nodded as he was already digging into his and he took a seat at the island. Olivia cautiously sat next to him and started eating.  
After they were done Shayne showed Olivia where the guest bedroom was and it even had its own bathroom. He left her to her own devices and headed to his own room, it was already so late and he just wanted to lay down. Shayne didn’t really sleep, not a full night, it was more of a napping situation. But he did like the feeling of just laying. But after he did shower and lay in his bed his head was filled with thoughts that kept him restless.  
Earlier that evening he felt something, something he hadn’t felt ever before. Olivia’s touch made his skin burn when they were riding on his bike together. It made him almost feel sick but giddy at the same time. He couldn’t describe it and he didn’t know what to call it, he didn’t know what he even had with Olivia. What she had said earlier, he rationale for why she didn’t hate him, did she perhaps pity him? He didn’t want that, yes he had some ugly tattoos on his back that he legitimately couldn’t remove because he skin was too tough, but they were just tattoos. Remnants of who he once was not who he was now.   
Olivia was awake too. The bed she was laying on was incredibly comfortable and the comforter was one of those large puffy ones that hotels had. The sheets were thick and even smelled fresh and not stale. It really was almost like a hotel. The bathroom even had shampoo and conditioner along with a bar of soap and fresh towels. The room was so big and she couldn’t even imagine how big Shayne’s room was and he probably had a huge walk in closet as well. A huge apartment and he lived in it alone.  
Instead of laying in bed she left it and went into the living room with all the hand crafted furniture and large window with the view of the city. Olivia sat down on the couch and looked out the window and that showed the twinkling lights of the city. Sometimes she forgot she lived in the biggest city in the US and one of the biggest cities in the entire world. She also forgot how pretty it was. Her apartment had few windows and it was in a short building. Most of the time Olivia was in dark rooms or was experiencing stressful missions in other countries where she was low on the ground. Being this high up allowed her to stop and smell the roses for just a moment, New York really was beautiful and looking at it that night made her realise every bit of it was worth saving.   
“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” Shayne asked, jolting Olivia out from her daydream. He opened up the curtains a little bit further so the view was on full display then took a seat on the other side of the couch.   
“Shouldn’t you?” Olivia asked. Shayne shrugged and pushed his hair out of his eyes.   
“It’s more of a napping situation.” He said. He took a deep breath and stared at the view of the city, taking it all in, memorising every light and shadowed skyline. “I also heard you open your door and sit on the sofa.  
“Were you listening for it or did you just happen to hear it?” Olivia asked, jokingly.  
“My senses are heightened Olivia I can’t help it.” Shayne said sheepishly. Olivia scoffed and nudged his shin with her foot. He nudged hers back playfully.   
“Do you ever get lonely here?” Olivia asked. She averted her attention to Shayne who was already looking at her. Her was leaned back on the couch and his elbow was resting on the back of the couch, his hand propping up his face.   
“I’ll be honest,” Shayne smiled, honesty wasn’t usually something he dealt with but he chose to make an acception, “I don’t spend much time here.”  
“But it’s so fabulous!” Olivia said in an over exaggerated tone. She laughed and brushed her hair out of her eyes.   
“I know, I know. But I guess I don’t need to. I don’t really have any friends and I don’t have enough willpower to make any. So the big kitchen is just for me, same for this big fancy living room and all of its handcrafted furniture and personally picked out paintings. I just get dressed here, and sometimes watch TV but to be honest I enjoy reading much more. I also cook but I also like to eat out a lot.” Shayne explained.  
“You don’t ever get lonely?” Olivia asked.  
“No, I think I’m quite content with being alone. I had people watching over me for who knows how many years and they micromanaged everything I did and took control over my thoughts and willpower. So just being by myself is okay.” Olivia nodded. “But I think I could make some exceptions.” Shayne said in a hushed tone adjoined with a small smile. Olivia smiled back at him.


	11. The Mirror Dimension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so sorry for the late update. This chapter took me forever to write because of how difficult it is to describe all this magic stuff. But I hope you enjoy it and don't be afraid to leave feedback down below!

When Olivia and Shayne arrived back at the sanctum the following morning they were greeted by small smirks and even a pat on the back from Joven. But when Olivia approached Keith and insisted that nothing happened he believed her. He could tell that Shayne and Olivia had something different, something that couldn’t really be written into words. Also Olivia wasn’t really the type to have sex on the first date, and it didn’t seem like Shayne was really the type either.  
Keith didn’t really know what to think about everything that was going on. Twenty-four hours ago he was having a normal day at the office trying to find a lead on the mystery hitman that Olivia had become obsessed with, and now part of his workplace was destroyed and a biochemical weapon was stolen. His refuge was a strange place inhabited by people with magic and he now knew not one but two ex-Nazi super soldiers, one of which was the mystery hitman that his friend had been looking for. Keith didn’t know what to make of the situation, and the fact that there was a madman with magic who was aiming to start World War III. Surely Keith himself would be taken out of the equation if the gas was released, he never considered himself to be extraordinary (his singing voice was the exception to that statement) and he definitely didn’t have any superpowers like the new friends he just made.   
“Okay does anyone have any leads on Damien?” Olivia asked. Sohinki waved her over and showed his laptop screen to the rest of the group.  
“Facial recognition scans picked him up as he headed into an apartment complex, and the elevator cams caught him heading up to the penthouse suite.”  
“Penthouse?” Olivia asked.  
“Yup” Sohinki said, popping the ‘p’. He quickly typed on his computer and pulled up some legal documents and a photo of a young man. “The apartment belongs to Noah Grossman, the tech prodigy and huge drug addict with the rich father.”  
“Isn’t Noah Grossman just some B-list celebrity that’s only loved by the tabloids?” Joven asked. The group murmured and Sohinki just shrugged.  
“I mean, like I said he’s a tech genius. Maybe Damien hired him to do some hacking for him.” Sohinki suggested. “Facial recognition also picked up a young woman who matches the vague description we got earlier about a short woman with dark skin.” Sohinki pulled up a picture of Boze’s drivers license along with a police report.  
“Ericka Bozeman, 26 years old with several accounts of petty theft, drug possession, and vandalism. All of which she didn’t serve any time for nor did she do her required amounts of public service and there’s a warrant out for her arrest.” Joen read with squinted eyes as he looked off of the screen. David asked for Sohinki’s findings and while Sohinki was showing some more crime records affiliated with Ericka Bozeman, David had found footage of this Courtney Miller figure they had been looking for.   
“Courtney Miller, a stripper at one of the sleaziest strip clubs in town who also has a warrant out for their arrest on the accounts of cocaine possession, prostitution, and petty theft. Last seen at her job and from what I can see on these security cams the last time she left Grossman’s apartment was yesterday when she went out with Damien and Bozeman to SHIELD headquarters.” David explained. The two tried to find any more information on the two such as possible abilities they might possess.  
“Wait hold on a minuet,” Flitz blurted out which caused everyone to stop what they were doing, “you said there’s elevator footage of him?” He asked. David and Sohinki just nodded slowly, not really sure what Flitz’s thought process was. “Why the hell would there be elevator and street footage of Damien when he doesn’t have to actually travel to places by walking to them?” He asked. Everyone just looked confused with the exception of Mari who clapped her hands together.  
“Sling Ring!” She shouted.  
“What’s a Sling Ring?” Olivia asked. Mari excitedly unhooked the ring from her belt, put it on her two fingers, then held out her one hand and moved her other in a circle. Yellow sparks appeared in the air and the group moved back in shock as a portal appeared in mid air and opened up to what looked like a large mountain range.  
“A Sling Ring is a device we help channel our power through to create portals to all dimensions and places. As long as you have one and know how to use it you never have to actually travel to places you just get to step through a portal. Damien has been going places on foot meaning that he doesn’t have one, actually can you try and find any footage of his middle to upper body?” Flitz asked. David slowly nodded, still staring at the floating portal in the room and started to search around on his computer.  
“Here” He said as she shoved the laptop into Flitz’s hands.  
“Yup.” Mari said, pointing at the screen, “He has his relic but not his ring which means he’’s vulnerable at the moment.”  
“How is he vulnerable if he doesn’t have a ring?” Sohinki asked.  
“Because if he doesn’t have a ring he could get trapped in dimensions like the mirror one and the only person who could save him would be someone with a Sling Ring.” Mari said nonchalantly as she closed the portal. Her eyes suddenly got wide and a thought hit her and Flitz like a ton of bricks. “What’s the address of the apartment?”  
“Penthouse apartment in the Easton Complex on 205 East 92nd Street. Do you have a plan on how to possible capture him? We need to bring this guy in for at least questioning and if you have a way to do that in a friendly manner that would be great.” Sohinki said.  
“Yeah, yeah that’s what we’re going to do.” Flitz said with a slight hint of uncertainty in his voice. He looked deep in thought and it made Shayne realise that these two sorcerers were not planning on bringing Damien Haas back to SHIELD for questioning.

+++

Damien was currently scouting for an engineer, he needed someone that could engineer a device that would allow his device to become airborne. His best pick seemed to be a man named Tanner Risner, he was smart and young, he seemed easily persuadable. Tanner Risner was also located in NYC, the only other person Damien would trust with a task like this was a young woman located in a small country in Africa, and without his sling ring there was no way he would get there fast enough to come in contact with her.   
The loss of his sling ring was a tragic one, especially because of how inconvenient it made everything. He lost it during a battle between himself and a few of the masters back from Kamar-Taj. Damien didn’t end up killing any of the masters, but they did end up taking his ring when he wasn’t looking. It definitely caused him trouble now that he had to travel like everyone else, and the fact that he no longer could enter different dimensions. He didn’t have the time nor materials to craft another one so now he was just making due.  
He sent Courtney and Noah to to retrieve the engineer, now he was just in the apartment with Boze who had secluded herself to one of the guest bedrooms. He sat in front of the large window, stared out into the vast city, then closed his eyes and crossed his legs to initiate meditation. Now with his eyes closed small flashes of visions came across his eyes. Red skies, people screaming, terror. But amongst the chaos came rebirth, an end of an era but the start of a new one. Damien would be the people’s god and with him would be his friends along with the other masters of Kamar-Taj.   
But then his eyes snapped open as he heard a large commotion appear in the room.

+++

Before Shayne could stop her, Mari started moving her hands that started to create another large, sparking portal in the middle of the sanctum. Olivia and the other SHIELD agents shouted at her to stop and in less than a second the portal was made, she had already gone through, and close behind he was Flitz who had also stepped through the portal. The two were armed with their relics and had no backup.  
But Wes was luckily close by. The second before the portal closed he shouted ‘No!’ and snatched Olivia’s gun from her holster and dashed through the portal. A few seconds after the portal closed and dissipated into the air, a madhouse erupted amongst the sanctum. Shayne was already shoving his helmet onto his head and Olivia took Sohinki’s weapon and grabbed Keith. Olivia, Keith, and David drove off in one of their armored vehicles, following Shayne who had already sped off in his bike in the direction of the complex.  
“Damien!” Mari blurted out after she had stepped into the apartment. She saw him whip around and Mari was met with cold, tired eyes of a man that she didn’t recognise. “Damien” she said in a smaller voice. Wes stepped in front of her, weapon drawn towards Damien.  
“Wes! What are you doing here?” Flitz shouted, reaching to lower Wes’s weapon.  
“You aren’t supposed to be here yet.” Damien said in a confused voice. He hadn’t seen any visions of seeing his friends so early and usually his visions told him everything. “Why are you here?” He asked. He looked at his friend’s faces. They looked different but still the same. Mari’s hair was different and she looked a little older and Flitz had different glasses, but they still looked like his friends that he once grew up with. The feeling of nostalgia panged within his chest.  
“Damien I think it’s about time you come home.” Mari said softly. She approached him cautiously and kept her sword hidden beneath her robes. “We miss you Dame.” She pleaded. Damien responded with a cold, questioning stare. He didn’t know what to think, about a billion thoughts were rushing through his head.  
“What’s going on?” Boze asked as she was suddenly in the doorway. Wes turned and aimed his weapon at her instead, causing her to put her hands into small fists and take a defensive fighting stance. “Damien we need to get out of here.”  
“No!” Mari shouted, “He’s coming with us.”   
“And how is that going to happen?” Boze asked.  
“Because,” Mari raised her hand up and lightly tapped the air with her index finger, “we’re in the mirror dimension.” After she tapped the air it seemed like shattered fragments of glass formed around the area she touched. Wes’s eyes grew large similar to Boze’s and Damien’s. Flitz then proceed to maneuver his hands cause the floor to open up in a way, dividing Boze from the rest of them.  
Everything in the penthouse turned into a kaleidoscope, mirroring and reflecting itself. In a quick attempt to escape Damien darted towards the window, broke the glass, and jumped out. On his way down he bent the buildings so he would have a soft landing. “After him!” Mari shouted.  
But before Mari could jump out after Damien Boze stood in her path and struck her with an unexpected blow to the face. Out of reflex Wes ended up firing his weapon at Boze, causing Boze to do something none of them expected. Just as it hit her skin it was like she absorbed it into her skin. From there, she absorbed the kinetic energy of the bullet causing the veins under her skin to flood with electricity and glow beneath her skin.  
“Go!” Mari shouted over to Flitz. He nodded and jumped out the window to go after Damien and the second after he crashed through the window Boze let out a burst of electricity that shocked Mari and Wes to the ground. Electricity pulsed through their bodies causing their muscles to seize, Wes was the first to snap out of it and he ended up knocking her out cold after tackling her.   
Flitz was now in a battle with Damien, he was using his bow to send an endless amount of arrows at Damien. One had already struck him in the shoulder, causing the arrow made of pure energy to bore a hole straight through his shoulder. Blood dripped down the front of his body as he clutched his wound. He ran from Flitz, casting spells in his direction to try and ward him off.   
Mari regained consciousness after Wes’ constant shaking of her body. She woke up and moved to the window where she saw Damien and Flitz chasing after one another from rooftop to rooftop. “Follow me” She said to Wes.   
The two jumped out the window and Mari moved the buildings so they would fall underneath their feet. She created a pathway to the two of them and watched as Flitz was finally struck with one of Damien’s spells causing Flitz to be knocked to the ground. Mari waved her arms so the glowing rope appeared. She lassoed Damien with it the waved her arms which caused everything to fall normally and into its original place.   
“Let me go Mari!” Damien screamed as he tried to wrestle himself out of the bonds. Mari started dragging him by his shirt collar and Flitz opened a new portal that would take them out of the mirror dimension and back into the real world.  
They were a foot away when Wes, Flitz, and Mari were struck with electricity once more. As Wes’s body laid pulsing on the ground, in the corner of his eye he could see Boze helping Damien up and the two ran through the portal just as it was about to close. A few moments later the three came to and left the mirror dimension. Now they were out in the bustling streets of New York and Damien was nowhere in sight. Instead they saw a car and a motorcycle quickly pull up to where they were standing and were met with a very pissed off Olivia Sui.


	12. Wandering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know this chapter is kind of short but I've got AP's going on right now and I just wanted to produce something so you guys still know that I'm here. This is kind of just a filler chapter anyways to segway this story into its next phase. But I still hope you enjoy and as always feedback is much appreciated!

Mari and Flitz were put on probation for the time being. After they all arrived back at the sanctum Olivia chewed them out like there was no tomorrow, and she wasn’t too happy with Wes either. But she knew that they needed all the help they could get, this Boze girl exhibited an extreme amount of power so who knew what the other members of his team could pull off. Flitz was also injured from one of the spells Damien had cast on him, his shoulder was bruised and had quite the gash on it. Mari said she could make some type of herb remedy for him.  
It was late at night again and Mari had just finished taking care of Flitz and everyone else was either gone or asleep. She was putting things away in the kitchen when she heard soft footsteps walking around. Mari cautiously grabbed her blade and started to unsheath it until she turned the corner and saw that it was Wes.   
She had heard him up late at night quite frequently, he got very little sleep and it bothered her. But she always wondered what he did when he was up, walking around. Maru watched as he mindlessly wandered around the sanctum, occasionally poking at some ancient relics and tracing patterns on the tapestries on the wall. The faint glow of the candle light illuminated his face and cast shadows across his features. His jawline looked deeper and so did his cheekbones, and his eyes looked sunken in from his lack of sleep. But she still thought that he looked beautiful.  
Mari continued to follow him as he moved up and down the levels of the sanctum. She stayed quietly behind him, hidden in another room and watched him over her shoulder. He just continued to wander and take in the many objects that were in all the rooms. Sometimes he would pull a sword slightly out of its sheath and even tried on one of the cloaks hanging on a wall. Finally he ended up settling in the armchair that was next to the large window upstairs. He was all curled up and suddenly the broad, over six foot man became so small as he was all huddled up in the arm chair. Mari watched as he looked out at the city moving around him. She decided she could make tea and quietly removed herself from Wes’s moment and went to the kitchen to brew a pot. She assembled the tea set on the tray and brought it back up to where Wes was, but when she got there he was already asleep in the chair.  
Quietly, she took off one of her many robes leaving her in her in the burgundy undershirt she always wore, and draped the fabric over Wes’s body as a blanket. She tucked him in then poured herself a cup of tea and sat cross-legged next to him and looked out at the city while he slept.  
“You smell like earth.” A faint whisper said. Mari looked away from the window and saw Wes looking back at her with half-lidded eyes and a very sleepy smile. She smiled back at him and poured him a cup of tea.  
“I know.” She said as she held her cup close to her body for warmth, “My clothes still smell like the mountains and land of Kamar-Taj.”   
“What’s it like there?” He asked, sitting up slightly but still kept the robed draped across his body.  
“It’s beautiful and untouched. It has a vast library filled with all sorts of interesting texts and it’s own archive of relics. The people in the village below are kind and treat us with respect, we buy the materials for out clothing from their marketplace.” She took a sip of tea. “There are beautiful courtyards that we train in, snow capped mountains, prayers carved into the walls. Kamar-Taj is my home. A place that I would not die for, but a place I would kill for.” Mari said quietly. Wes nodded along and drank his tea as he listened. He always liked hearing about this Kamar-Taj place, Flitz would sometimes give him small snippets of what it was like to live there. He liked how it was a place filled with love and knowledge.  
“Sometime soon we should get you fitted.” Mari said after their quiet moment.  
“Fitted?” Wes asked.  
“Yes, for robes.” Wes laughed and shook his head.  
“I thought I was leaving after I help you find Damien.”  
“I think we’re past that point.” Mari said. “And if you’re going to live here you’ve gotta dress the part, maybe even learn a couple of things.” She looked up at him and he was smiling, she smiled right back at him.

+++

It was too close of a call, Damien’s friends had found out where he was and now they thought he was crazy. After Courtney and Noah came back with the engineer they had to find a new base, somewhere hidden so Mari and Flitz couldn’t find them. He settled for an abandoned warehouse that Boze knew of, it would do for the time being and hopefully would keep him and his team well hidden.   
He blamed himself for the whole incident. It was his own stupid mind that didn’t give him any warning that they were going to be ambushed like that, in fact he had taken it upon himself to force his mind to go into the future, and the reality he saw was a flawless one, not this one that he was living in with all these delays and problems. But he pushed past that and continued to meditate more so his focus could be better sharpened.  
This plan had to work, it had to. It was far too late to go back now. 

+++

“Breaking news,” Sohinki swiveled his laptop around so it faced the group, “top engineer Tanner Risner is missing from the University he works at, and according to Mari, Flitz, and Wes neither Courtney Miller or Noah Grossman were at the apartment complex when they attacked.”   
“Why the hell do they need an engineer?” Wes asked.  
“Because the weapon Damien secured a few days ago can only be put to use if it’s put into the air.” Joven pulled up blueprints of the weapon and showed the team. “The swirling liquid you see in the cube is the toxin and can only be released if it’s in some form of gas. They probably kidnapped Tanner because none of them have a PHD in engineering or know a single thing about advanced weaponry.”  
“What the hell does the gas do again?” Olivia asked. Joven sighed and rubbed his eyes.  
“It could potentially wipe out almost everyone on this goddamn planet.”


	13. Seeking Redemption

Boze watched from the doorway of the warehouse as Noah held a glock to the young engineer’s head. He was working hard, piecing together the mechanism that would allow the venom held within the cube to become a gas which would in turn kill almost everyone in New York. ‘Is this it?’ she thought to herself, ‘Is this what I’ve become?’ she asked. She had felt horrible the past few days after the fight in the mirror dimension, she really didn’t want to hurt that man back there but she knew if she didn’t there would be massive consequences. Damien seemed to be losing his sanity by the minuet and Noah had lost it years ago from all the cocaine, and its not like she could confide in Courtney who just followed Damien around like a lost puppy. The stupid girl just oggled him every chance she got, gave him all her attention and he treated her life a pet, a fucking pet. Boze hated everything that was going on and she had only stayed from fear, but now she was tired, now she wanted out.  
But where would she go? If the gas was released it would kill everyone in the city who didn’t have heightened immune systems or abilities making the population considerably smaller, her chances of hiding from Damien and the others would go down significantly. She knew he wouldn’t kill her, this whole thing was based on the fact that those with abilities were genetically superior, but instead he would keep her for something worse. Torcher, slavery, prostitution, the list could go on and it made Boze shiver. Plus Damien’s abilities were based on seeing the future and feeling other people’s emotions, could he feel her wanting to betray the team? Could he see it?   
She hoped not, and she also knew that this was probably her only chance to leave. Damien had been so preoccupied with the engineer, Courtney, and thinking about his past that he hadn’t given Boze any attention or looked in her direction. He barely even noticed her during the fight in the mirror dimension when she saved his sorry ass, and even then he didn’t even have a vision of that fight happening so it could be possible that he wouldn’t see her betrayal. Boze knew that she had to go, she had to go to the other masters and warn them of what was coming. Damien was at the brink of insanity which meant his powers would soon be under no control.  
Boze waited for the day to become night, she kept herself hidden from the others and her small backpack of belongings stayed firmly by her side. Slowly the others went up stairs, Noah was put on watch for the engineer who needed rest and Damien went to meditate while Courtney just followed him. None of them even spoke to Boze, hardly even gave her a glance. For once she felt grateful for being so small. She wished she could bring the engineer with her but it was too great of a risk, for now she was on her own.

+++

Damien had given the group strict orders to not attack the sanctum even though he had told the others where it was. He was under the delusion that his friends would suddenly join him after he committed near genocide, plus he mentioned something about priceless, ancient, and powerful objects that would help them on their conquests later. Boze blended seamlessly into the bustling New York nightlife as she walked several blocks to get to the place. By the time she got there her feet ached but she saw the large circular window and glowing lights inside and knew she was in the right place.   
She took cautious steps up to the front doors and gave it a quick knock then put her hands up to she she held no weapons and meant no harm. She faint talking she heard behind the doors ceased and through the fogged glass she saw a figure walk up to the door. It swung open and she was met with the same tall, silver haired man she fought in the mirror dimension. She felt her eyes grow wide and he knees started to buckle, a part of her wished she could just disappear. A hand grabbed her and pulled her inside and she was faced with the barrel of several guns. Boze kept her hands up and dropped her head, terrified that the people in this room would kill her.  
“What the hell are you doing here?” The voice of a woman asked, Boze looked up and saw a small Asian woman approach her. The woman’s gun was pointed directly at her head and her eyes spoke of anger.  
“I left Damien and the others, I couldn’t handle it. I’m coming as a warning and a potential ally.”She shoved off her backpack and kicked it in heir direction. “You can search my bag, I come with know weapons.  
A tall, dark haired man with glasses cautiously approached the bag and emptied its contents which was some clothing, a granola bar, and a notebook and pencil. He checked the rest of the compartments which were empty then flipped through the notebook. “She’s clean.” he said as he pushed the contents back in the bag.   
“She’s clean because she’s the weapon.” The asian woman said, pushed the gun back into Boze’s face. Boze shuddered and tried to stay as still as possible. “What’s the real reason you’re here?” The woman asked.  
“I told you, I’m here as a warning. Damien grows stronger and more insane every day, he’s looking to wipe out over half of the city and from there he thinks he could take over the world.” Boze insisted. The guns still remained in her face but she heard a different voice speak up.  
“Insanity?” It asked. Boze turned so she could look at the speaker, it was a tall black man dressed similar to Damien. The other Master of the Mystics Arts, she remembered Damien speak of him a few times.  
“Flitz, right?” Boze asked, he nodded. “The whole reason why he’s doing this is because of his visions. He claims to see an unavoidable death and destruction. He kept saying that nothing we could do would stop it, because of that he thinks that if he’s the one to do the killing then it would be okay or something. He wants to create a perfect race essentially, the gas will wipe out everyone in New York who doesn’t have abilities or heightened immune systems. After New York is down he wants to raise an army, and he wants you two,” Boze pointed at Mari and Flitz, “to help him lead.”  
“You can’t possibly be serious.” Olivia scoffed.  
“No,” Mari stepped forward, “she’s right. Ever since Damien started getting these visions of the end of the world he’s started going crazy. Her explanation makes sense, he would do something like this.” She explained. Mari stepped in front of Boze and held her hands up. “Lower your weapons, we need to trust this girl. She’s the best chance we have.”  
Everyone kept their guns up but Shayne knew that Mari was right. He slowly lowered his gun and tucked in the back of his pants. Olivia glared at him but he just glared back. She looked at the others and nodded her head to signal for them to lower their weapons. Boze breathed a sigh of relief.   
“We need to perform an enchantment on him, just to put him in a deep sleep.” Flitz said.  
“You want to put your friend in a coma?” David asked. Flitz nodded like that was a normal thing to do.  
“Just long enough so we can take him back to Kamar Taj where the other masters can heal him. They will be able to suppress his powers, possibly take them away for good. His mind will be healed and he will be himself.” Flitz explained.  
“You realise your friend is a terrorist and is currently being hunted by the government. When we get ahold of Damien we are taking his ass to prison.” Olivia stated.  
“But we have to suppress his powers or else he will continue to try and cause damage.” Shayne said, agreeing with Mari and Flitz. Olivia looked at him and crossed her arms.   
“Fine.” She said, “But we better get ahold of him quick.”


	14. Blade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I know I'm the #worst at updating and there's only like 3 people even reading this anymore but here's your latest chapter! This fic will be wrapping up pretty soon and I haven't nailed down my next fic quite yet so if you have any suggestions lemme know!   
> Also! I started a blog on tumblr called becky-writes where I'll be doing some imagines! Give me some suggestions on there if you'd like one!

Damien could feel it, the betrayal, the fear that Boze had. There were remnants of it left all over the warehouse after she had left about a day ago. He hadn’t even noticed she had left until it was too late, now the place reeked of her sadness and fear. No one else could feel it ir smell it like he could, a side effect of his powers. He had slight control over his future seeing abilities but his empath abilities were ones he could never figure out. They turned on then off then on again for bursts at a time, he hated it.  
Everyone else was getting gradually more and more annoying, he wished that the engineer would hurry up so he could get this over with and just get rid of Courtney and Noah. No, he wasn’t planning on killing them but he hoped once this whole revolution thing started he could just get them out of his hair. Noah was absolutely insane and was always trying to get high or complaining about never being high and then Courtney followed him around like a doting housewife, Damien cursed himself for taking Boze for granted. Now he had no clue where she was, she could be anywhere, but he prayed to god she wasn’t with Wes and Mari because who knows what she would do to them.  
He also knew that the sanctum had no security cameras they could hack into and the street didn’t have any either, if you didn’t know about it you wouldn’t even know it was there, the exact reason why the monks of Kamar Taj had chosen it so many years ago. Damien was losing his grip on his abilities as well, images of red kept flashing before his eyes when he tried to use them and that wasn’t helping anything.  
But he kept himself grounded. Once this was all over it was going to be okay, he just had to keep telling himself that until the future became the present.

+++

Mari looked down at the sword that was laying on her bed. The Ebony Blade, the relic that called to her. She hadn’t kept it at her side for the past few days mainly because she had forgotten but the magic link formed between the two of them after it had picked her had been pulling her to it once again. She brushed her fingers over its handle and savored the electric sparks that ignited inside of her when she touched it, the sword almost seemed happy that they were in contact once again.  
She had just recently returned from Kamar Taj a few hours prior, she needed to speak to Wong about the events regarding Damien that had taken place recently. She told him to keep the sanctuary on high alert. Wong offered her his assistance but she declined it, making it clear that the mountains needed him to guard its people, and she had more than enough help back in New York.  
“Stay alert of your sword.” Wong cautioned her as he was walking her to the portal that would take her home, “The Ebony Blade is a masterful weapon. It can cut through any material, absorb and disperse magical attacks, but also can control its user. The link the two of you have now might be a neutral one but if the sword is used for too much killing it can become tainted by bloodlust, affecting its user as well.”  
“How much killing?” Mari asked, confused. What was the point of having a weapon that couldn’t do its job?  
“Too much, that’s all. There are other ways to use a sword Takahashi, just remember that.”  
“I feel as if even though I’m a master I still know nothing.” She said as she paused by the portal door. “I feel like I have no control.”  
“Even Masters learn new things every day, I still do. But just remember, you and the sword have a bond. It will tell you its feelings if you listen.” Mari smiled and graciously thanked him and as she was just about to step back into the New York Sanctum Wong called out her name once again.  
“It can heal the user as well!” He shouted. Mari nodded, that she did know.  
The sword never allowed the user to get killed, only injured, and once injured it would immediately heal the wounds. It was an amazing weapon, carved of obsidian and forged in magic. Mari now was holding it in her hands inside her bedroom. She unsheathed it to look at the polished, black blade that came to the sharpest point. Then she closed her eyes and honed her attention to the blade. Mari heard faint whispers calling her name. A faint, soothing voice that sounded almost like a young child. The voice could louder and inbetween her name came faint giggles and shrieks of joy.  
‘My friend, my bestest friend.’ said the distant voice. Mari felt her face turn into a smile. ‘I missed you, you have to save him.’ the voice said, ‘Save me.’ it said finally. Mari’s eyes opened wide and she stared at the blade in her hands.  
She recognized the voice, it was Damien's when he was a young child. The phrase ‘my bestest friend’ hit her like a ton of bricks because that’s what Damien used to say. She couldn’t believe she let herself forget that, that saying. And now the sword had taken on the persona of him as an innocent child because that’s what he was underneath, buried by years of trauma and loss of self control. Mari shuddered as she held the blade in her hands but also mentally thank it for making her remember what she was fighting for.  
‘I heal.’ The blade whispered in hat faint childlike voice. ‘I heal.’ It said again. Mari looked at it with confusion but then the thought slowly dawned on her as to what it was saying. The blade healed, healed the user. And Wong was right, there were many ways a sword could be used.

+++

“So you guys draw Noah and Courtney out with the small explosions and Flitz, Wes, and I will sneak into the warehouse to take care of Damien.” Mari explained. The group was planning on striking the next night after Boze gave them the location of the warehouse they were based out of.   
“How are you planning on taking care of Damien?” Olivia asked.  
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.” Mari explained. Olivia warily nodded her head, she felt like she trusted Mari enough to know that whatever she had planned was probably going to work out to some degree. “What abilities do Courtney and Noah have?”  
“Possession and reality warping. I don’t know how well but I’m assuming well enough and that’s why Damien chose them.” Boze explained.   
“Possession? Reality warping? What the hell does that even mean?” Joven asked.   
“Yeah so she can literally possess people, like take control over their minds and bodies but I think it leaves her actual body weakened. She basically goes into a coma when she possessing someone but she can do it for however long she wants unless her hosts body is killed or her actual body is. And Noah can change reality for short periods of time. Like change the laws of physics, make objects turn into gas.”  
“Can he do it to people? Turn them into gas?” David asked. Boze shook her head no.  
“I don’t think he can go that extreme but he’s pretty skilled from what I saw. Either way we’re getting into something big.” Boze said. Everyone looked at one another with uncomfortable looks on their faces.


	15. The Battle Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so sorry for the late update but I'm just finishing up exams at the moment so I hope this extra long chapter makes up for some of that. The next chapter is going to be a finale and once this story is all finished up I can say that I will be returning to my old posting schedule that I did last summer where I posted almost every night at around 1-2 AM US eastern time zone and I already have my next fic picked out. Thank you everyone who keeps up with my stuff and I hope you enjoy this chapter and the finale that will be posted in 1 to 2 days!

Damien stood atop the balcony of the empire state building. The air whistled around him and the sounds of people and cars and commotion echoed throughout the city. He closed his eyes and let the wind rustle his robes and he drowned out the visions that tried to pass through his mind. For just two seconds he wanted peace of mind before everything would set in place. Tonight was the night, he was going to release the gas that would wipe out the majority of New York City and that would be his warning to the public. It would cause chaos and a world drenched in blood, but that’s what had to happen if the world was supposed to be reborn. From death comes life and inbetween it all is balance.   
It was only eight o’clock in the evening and Damien was waiting until it was around midnight when the night life would fully awaken. It was a friday, every New Yorker was going to come out and do something on a friday night. Regardless, those who stayed in side would be killed by those who were infected anyways. Life, or death in this case, always finds a way.   
Tanner was setting up the rig so the gas could become airborne and Courtney and Noah were able to drive everyone out of the Empire State building so they would have it all to themselves. They stood guard in case they were bombarded like they were before, Damien really didn’t need to deal with Fliz or Mari or everyone else they were with at the moment.  
He ran his fingers over his relic, a pair of daggers that were always deadly sharp, and he took another deep breath. Damien could feel his energies surging through his veins and golden sparks fluttered from his fingers and fell onto the ground. He was going to be a keeper, a literal deity for the new world. People would worship at his feet and Flitz and Mari would walk with him.

+++

“You can’t go, you shouldn’t go.” Shayne pleaded quietly as he stood beside Olivia in one of the back rooms of the sanctum. She was cleaning her weapon and prepping her tactical gear when Shayne approached her in his own gear or ‘super suits’ as Joven was referring to everyone’s gear. Olivia looked at Shayne in confusion as he looked down at her with pale blue eyes that were reddened with faint tears.  
Olivia placed her hand on Shayne’s shoulder then slid it down over the sleek bullet proof vest that he was wearing. “You know I can’t do that Shayne. It’s my job to do this kind of stuff, Joven, David, and Matt are already staying behind and if I stayed with them that’s one less person out there that’s not stopping Damien.” Shayne just looked out the window, refusing to make eye contact with her. “I have an oxygen mask and so does Keith. We’ll be okay.” She reassured.  
“I know but I just feel like I can’t,” Shayne said, a few of his words cracking as he tried to keep the tears in his eyes and snot in his nose.  
“You can’t what?”  
“Protect you.” Shayne finally said. “Everything I know is based off of the foundation of killing or pain. My first memories are being shocked and beaten to near death, and then being triggered into killing people who I didn’t even know the name of.” A tear finally fell from Shayne’s cold, blue eyes and onto his cheek. “And then I found out about you and you were supposed to be my foil but you’re not you’re sweet and kind and something that I’m not. And I just want to savor you but I can’t and now we have to stop a mass genocide and you have to help stop it even though it could kill you in a second.” Shayne stuttered out. Olivia brushed the tear from his cheek. “For the first time in my life I’m afraid and I don’t know what to do.”  
Olivia pulled Shayne into her body in a tight hug. His hands held onto her body like it was the only thing keeping him grounded and he sobbed into her shoulder. Silent tears fell from Olivia’s eyes as they stood there in that cramped room having their small moment that could be the last painfully human thing they could ever do for the rest of their lives.   
Mari stood in her room in the other side of the sanctum as she dressed herself in her robes. She opted for her black ones, her mourning robes because they seemed appropriate for the situation. They were more modest compared to her other robes and were less flowy. She slid her sling ring onto her finger and strapped her sword to her back after having a silent conversation with it for a brief moment. Lastly she scrambled through her box full of her personal belongings and pulled out the polaroid picture or her, Flitz, and Damien that was taken several years ago. She tucked it into the small pouch that hung on her sash and slipped on her shoes.  
Flitz finished tying his robes and he polished his glasses one last time. He pulled the drawstring of his bow back and watched as a red arrow made of pure energy formed and then placed the bow over his shoulders and strapped his fighting daggers across his chest. Flitz then concentrated for a moment and honed his abilities, he hovered above the ground then floated mid air in a cross legged position. He meditated, reciting the prayer of the ancient one and created a glowing mandala in the air before breaking it and watching it shatter into thousands of golden sparks.  
Wes looked at himself in the mirror and studied his face. His crooked nose, his wide eyes, freshly shaven face, and silver hair with brown roots that Mari had taken the liberty of cutting so it was no longer hanging in his face but instead was now neat and floppy on top of his head. He finished strapping on the tactical vest Shayne gave him and assembled the rifle Shayne had also given him. The gun fit so well in his hands and cleaning it felt felt so familiar, almost like he was riding a bike for the first time in years. Now the weapon was strapped to his back and he was staring at himself in the mirror as if the image there was a stranger. Wes felt a sudden rush of emotions flow through him that made him release a choked sob. He left his room in a rush and crossed the hall to where Mari’s was. He quickly opened the door and saw her finish putting on her shoes. She looked up at him with wide and innocent eyes, he realised this was the first real battle she was about to endure. He strode over to her and crouched beneath her as she sat on the edge of her bed. His hand was placed behind her neck and the top of her head was resting on her chin. Wes let out a strained sob that racked through his entire body. Mari wove her fingers through his hair and cried with him, letting out her terrified tears that were hot and stained her face. Wes looked up at her and soon their lips met in a chaste, melancholy kiss that lasted a brief moment but felt like an eternity.   
Boze didn’t know how to put on the tactical vest Joven had provided so she had to ask for help from him. She ended up tying her hair up in a ponytail and washed off all the makeup on her face. Her face showed how young of a woman she was, but she had tired eyes and a permanent frown plastered on her face. The SHIELD agents had also given her boots and pants to wear, they were ugly but were better quality than anything else she had ever owned. When she stared herself down in the bathroom she didn’t see herself but instead someone else, someone who she hoped was doing the right thing.  
Everyone met in the main foyer of the sanctum and looked at each other briefly with exhausted expressions. Mari nodded her head and planted her feet firmly into the ground and steadied her hands out in front of her face. She moved her hand in a circular motion and bright sparks appeared in the air and sputtered to the ground. A large portal appeared in the middle of the room and she entered it first and the others followed close behind. She shut it after herself and she looked around. They were in the lobby of the empire state building, the location was given courtesy of Boze, and the room was completely empty.  
“Look who finally thought to show up!” A voice shouted from across the room. Everyone looked around until they laid eyes on a young man dressed in a blue and yellow bomber jacket and had multicolored hair with thick rimmed glasses. Boze’s eyes grew wide and tried to make herself hidden behind Wes but Noah just cackled at her attempt. “Oh you think we forgot about your betrayal?” Noah asked as he stepped out of the shadows.  
“The person you’re serving is wrong.” Mari warned. She raised her hand slightly in case she needed to grab her sword. “He needs help and so do you. We can help you.” She assured. Noah just cocked his head.  
“No, he says you’re the ones who need help.” Noah grinned widely. “And that I get to do whatever I want.”  
Suddenly the floor started to shift and bow. They looked down and saw that the tiles were cracking and large gaps started to form in the floor. Mari was separated from the rest of the team as the floor shifted away from them almost like there was a horrendous earthquake erupting from underneath them. Wes shouted and stretched his hand out to hers but she was too far, then he started to get mad as the ceiling tiles started falling.  
Then things started to slide. Objects hurdles towards the team as they were pulled to the side of the room, Noah had shifted the center of gravity and just as Wes realised this he shifted it again to the other side of the room so everyone slammed into the other side of the room. Keith started to shouted as he felt a huge amount of weight on his shoulders and Boze felt like something was splitting her skull. The pressure in the room was increasing which increased the feeling of gravity. As the team was pulled to the ground unable to move Shayne looked up through hooded eyelids at the cackling boi watching them all suffer. Shayne was finally able to reach his gun that was strapped to his thigh and shot the young man across the the room right in the shoulder. Noah cried out in pain and his knees slammed to the ground. It broke his concentration and the center of gravity shifted to normal.  
“Oh so you want to play those games?” A voice said darkly. Shayne looked to his right and saw Olivia who was facing away from the team. She turned around and her eyes were clouded and completely black. Shayne’s eyes widened in horror as she spoke again. “So you’re just going to shoot my friend like that and not even say sorry?” Olivia said, her voice sounded like it was two people speaking. Herself and someone else.  
“Courtney.” Boze sneered. Olivia, or rather Courtney, lunged at boze with a knife and Boze ducked out of the way.  
“Find Courtney!” Wes shouted. Noah had regained his senses and was now making the room crumble apart and a fire started from out of nowhere. “She’s vulnerable when she’s possessing someone!” Flitz nodded and headed towards the stairs so her could find the woman.  
Olivia cute Boze in the cheek before Boze managed to kick her in the knees so she fell to the ground. Olivia pulled out her glock and started shooting and the bullets came barrelling towards her skin. But as the bullets made contact with her skin, Boze took a deep breath in and absorbed them and all their kinetic energy. She set out a small, projected blast that knocked Olivia back and scrambled towards the stable part of the room.  
It was now raining acid rain and Olivia was attacking Keith until Shayne had knocked her to the ground in a hard tackle. Mari and Wes were working on trying to get to Noah but he kept blocking himself in someway that altered reality. It wasn’t until Mari had managed to make a forcefield bubble around him and throw him up to the ceiling and let him drop to the ground he finally got knocked out. The room returned to normal but Olivia was still fighting Keith with an animalistic rage no one had ever seen.  
Then her inky eyes locked with Shayne and she smirked. A swirling shadow purged itself from Olivia’s body and moved over to Shayne’s. His eyes snapped open to reveal the same inky ones Olivia had moments ago but instead of lashing out at the team Shayne’s mouth gaped open and let out a horrifying scream. His screams sounded metallic and wrong as Courtney’s voice tried to mesh with his own. He collapsed to the ground and howled out in pain and the others crowded around him with their weapons drawn with the exception of Wes, who was faintly smirking to himself.  
“What the hell is wrong with him?” Keith asked as Shayne continued to let out gut wrenching roars of pain. He was squirming and grabbing every part of his body and his back jolted and arched off of the tile.  
“She’s in pain.” Wes said softly. Everyone looked over at him with confused expressions. “The serum, or at least the variation we have running through our veins, causes us to be in constant pain all the time because our bodies are essentially healing themselves all the time. Over time we got used to it but she’s experiencing it for the first time.” Mari’s eyes grew wide as she watched Shayne claw the ground in a desperate attempt to stand up.  
Flitz finally found Courtney laying in the corner of an abandoned conference room. She was crying out in pain and in one swift motion he punched her so hard in the face she passed out. Downstairs her soul left Shayne’s body and his eyes returned to being bright blue. He coughed, his voice now hoarse from all the screaming, and he brushed himself off. Flitz returned with Courtney’s passed out body and everyone tied them up and Olivia called Matt to let him know they needed a car to get over there so they could take the prisoners to HQ.  
“You have to stay down here with these two. We’re the only ones who can go up there and stop him.” Mari said as she adjusted the sword on her back.  
“What the hell are you talking about? You and Flitz can’t just go up there alone! Damien’s a maniac and someone has to get the engineer.” Wes argued. Mari looked at him and huffed.  
“Fine, you can come and get the engineer, but only after we get Damien to give him to us. Once you have him you come down here to join the others. I would also recommend that the two of you put on your gas masks right now.” Mari said.   
Flitz, Mari, and Wes loaded themselves into the elevator and pressed the button that would take them to the balcony. Olivia and Keith threw on their gas masks and Shayne let out a shaky breath.


	16. Weightless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thank you so much to everyone that commented, read, or gave kudos to this fic! It was so exciting and fun to write and now that I am done with exams I can get back into my summer schedule like last year where I posted almost every night! So hopefully the first chapter to my next fic will be posted tomorrow and I really hope that you guys enjoyed this fic as well. Thank you so much for all your love and support!

The elevator doors opened up quietly and the two masters and ex super soldier exited it with caution. It was getting late now, the sun had set hours ago, and they could hear the noise of the city echoing below. Mari realised how high up they were and she realised she hadn’t been at an altitude like this ever since she had been to Kamar Taj. But this time she didn’t have the comfort of the snow capped mountains surrounding her and her lungs weren’t filled with the untouched air.  
They rounded a corner and saw Damien standing by the balcony, his robes fluttering in the wind. They were gray and black, the opposite of the bright orange ones he used to wear, and now that Mari was getting a good look of him upclose she could feel her heart start to break. Wes stayed behind as Flitz and Mari approached the young man and stood on either side of him by the balcony. Mari looked up at Damien as he looked out onto the horizon. He had dark under eye circles and his hair was matted down. He finally looked down at her and she saw the hardened face of a man, no remnants of his innocent, boyish self that she once knew.  
Mari placed her hand on his cheek delicately and Damien relished in the contact. He hadn’t truly felt human contact in a long time and Mari’s hands were always so warm. She used to put her hand on his cheek all the time back when he was a child and lived in the mountains with her. She did it as a reassuring gesture, almost like a mother would, and when Damien’s anxieties used to act up or his visions frightened him her soft hand on his cheek would always bring him back down to earth.   
Now he was so much taller than her and instead of having soft cheeks with baby fat his jaw was all hard edges with cut cheekbones and light stubble. He really looked at Mari and noticed the very faint wrinkles and creases that littered her face along with a few strands of purple hair that hung by her eyes. They hadn’t truly seen one another in years, and now it seemed like the people they once were had never truly existed but were instead perfect fantasies.   
“You can’t do this Damien, people are going to die.” Flitz said quietly. Damien turned his head and Mari dropped her hand. Damien looked at Flitz and noticed how tall he was now and how elegant he looked in his dark green robes. Flitz’s eyes were pleading with Damien and were also searching for a scrap of innocence that could possibly be left behind.   
“That’s the point.” Damien replied. Mari was slightly taken aback by how deep his voice had gotten, no cracks of squeaks in any of the words he had said. “You weren’t supposed to come.” He said softly. Damien returned his attention to the New York skyline and didn’t notice Wes shoving the engineer into the elevator. “From death comes rebirth, and with this death a new world will be formed only of those who are strong and pure. The people already living on this planet are starving it of its resources, this city by itself is overly crowded. Once New York is gone I can move to bigger places and soon the whole planet will be purged of those who are,” Damien paused and Mari was shaking, “unnecessary.”  
“Too many lives Damien.” Mari pleaded, “No one deserves to die just so the world can be reborn in for selfish ways.” She grasped at the fabric around Damien robes and pulled him so he faced her. “Come home to us Damien.” She said softly, her eyes welling up with tears, “Come home and stay with us. There are people downstairs waiting to take you away, we could leave now and you wouldn’t have to suffer in a prison for the rest of your life and you could live amongst your people for the rest of time.” She cried and pulled Damien towards herself so she was sobbing into his chest. Damien’s face remained hard and unscathed and his old friend cried into his robes.   
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Damien said as he slowly as he slowly lowered his hand into his pocket. His eyes darkened as his fingers wrapped around the small remote control Tanner had made that connected with the gas release system. “What I see always and must come true, and I see a world painted in demise and destruction, life that is worth more than any of us know now.” He said softly. Damien pressed the button on the remote control and the machine booted up and on the display screen read five minutes. Flitz’s eyes widened as her saw the machine come to life and ripped Damien’s hand from his pocket.  
“No!” Flitz shouted. Mari pulled away from Damien and saw the remote and the cruel smile plastered on Damien’s face and the remote in his hand. She gasped at what he had done and Wes came rushing to the scene.  
“There’s gotta be a way we can shut this off, how do we shut this off!” He shouted at Damien, Damien responded by quickly grabbing one of his daggers off his sash and stabbing it harshly into Wes’s shoulder. The abnormally sharp blade easily pierced Wes’s skin and he shouted in pain as he wrenched the dagger out of his shoulder and used it to swipe at Damien. Flitz held wes back and slapped the dagger out of his hand and hauled him away from Damien.  
Mari looked at Damien with tears still in her eyes and her once sad, fearful tears turned into angry malicious ones as she clasped her hands together and made two semi-circle mandala blades out of her energy. Damien responded by doing the same and the two swung at one another with full force. As they fought Wes watched out of the corner of his eye, the pain in his shoulder was fading thanks to his enhanced healing abilities and Flitz was casting an enchantment on the wound which helped speed up the process even more. Flitz stood from where he was kneeling by Wes and joined Mari in her fight against Damien after the enchantment was passed and took his bow off his shoulder.  
“End this nonsense Damien!” He shouted, an arrow made of pure, harsh energy aimed directly at the brunette’s chest. He grabbed Mari’s wrist and in the blink of an eye he was holding her back against his chest, pinning her arms at her sides with an energy rope while he held one of his deadly daggers in his other hand and pressed it against her throat. Flitz kept the arrow aimed at Damien and Damien kept the dagger pressed into Mari’s throat, a small stream of blood started to run down her neck and pool on her robes.  
“It’s too late,” Damien said through clenched teeth, “you either join or die!” He shouted. Wes looked at the exchange happening then focused his attention on the gas about to be released. He looked at the wires and racked through painful memories of training in a Nazi camp. Wes looked at the device and saw that it was wired similar to how a bomb was wired. Closing his eyes he forgot about the timer on the device that signaled there was only three minutes remaining. Wes pulled out a pocket knife and went to work on it.  
Swiftly, Mari pulled the Ebony Blade out of the sheath on her back and kicked Damien’s knee so he tumbled to the ground. The powers of the blade quickly healed the small cut on her neck as Damien recovered and stood back up, dagger in hand and ready to fight. Flitz took his shot and the arrow hit Damien’s skin and burst into red and white light. Damien cried out in pain and Mari took this as her final chance to save her friend. She roughly took ahold of Damien’s wrist and slapped the dagger out of his hand so it tumbled to the ground. She then shoved the Ebony Blade into his hand and wrapped his fingers around it so he was holding on tight.   
However a loud beep went off and despite Wes’ efforts a stream of light blue gas started to emit from the device. “No!” Mari screamed and in her fury a small force field bubble erupted around all of them, containing them and the gas that was quickly releasing from the cube. They were at a standstill as the poison flooded the air around them. It smelled metallic but did nothing to them as it caused the air around them to become foggy and soon they couldn’t see anything except what was directly in front of them.   
Damien was still clasping onto the blade with his eyes closed. His mind was trying to reject the powers of the blade and despite his struggles, what felt like pure, white energy started to flood the inside of his mind. The Ebony Blade healed all who wielded it, not just physically but also mentally, and it purged Damien of the false visions his mind had created. A world filled with red and poisoned memories escaped his mind and Damien was left on his knees screaming and crying out as his mind was cleaned of his toxic abilities.   
As they waited, Flitz whispered a rather long spell that soon turned the gas surrounding them into liquid, and then into the harmless substance of water. Mari released her forcefield now that the danger was gone and they all watched as Damien’s feeble body rose into the air with the powers of the blade surrounding him. The water Flitz had created rose with him and swirled around his body and emitted a white, clean light. Damien’s eyes snapped open and glowed in that same light as he lowered to the ground and the waves of water crashed around him. He released the sword from his hand and it clanged to the ground loudly.  
His eyes cleared and the ones that Mari saw before her were those of a young, innocent boy. His eyes looked tired but not the same tired she had seen before. For a brief second the old Damien she had once known, one that begged for a camera and wore bright colored robes stood before her. Tears welled up around his eyes and started to flow freely around his face. He reached out for Mari and Flitz and they held him tightly and the three ended up crumpling to the ground in a mess of multicolored robes and sobs. Wes watched from afar, happy that Mari had finally completed her mission and found peace. 

+++

Mari looked at herself in the small mirror in her bedroom. Something about her was different, maybe it was the increase of color and light in her face or maybe it was because she had retouched her roots so they would match the rest of her purple hair. Either way, she looked a little different but she was happy about it. She adjusted her yellow and maroon robes one last time and gave the Ebony Blade a loving look as it hung on her wall, she wouldn’t be needing it today or for a long time, and she left her room.  
It had been one year since Mari had met Wes and the others, and one year since she had finally gotten Damien back. She still remained a keeper of the New York Sanctum with Flitz and Damien was pardoned for his crimes by SHIELD as long as he remained in Kamar Taj and never left the mountains. He took it as a fitting punishment but he didn’t really mind. His mind was finally returned to its natural state and he started wearing color again, and also retired his daggers. Mari and Flitz visited him every few days, it was easy considering the portals to Kamar Taj within the sanctum, and Damien remained in Kamar Taj as a teacher for those who visited the mountains. Flitz was just happy things were back to normal and he no longer had to worry about his friend trying to destroy the human race. He also hadn’t had to use his relic in a very long time, and he was incredibly grateful for that.   
Wes expected to be kicked out of the sanctum once things had settled down, the deal at the beginning of it all was that he was able to remain at the sanctum as long as he was helping Mari and Flitz find Damien, but Mari told him it made literally no sense that he should leave. Instead she became his teacher while also being his significant other, and now as well as being a super soldier we was also training to become a Master of the Mystic Arts.   
“I think this is a very fitting look for you.” Mari said in reference to the muted red and beige robes Wes now wore. He just smirked as he held her closer to him and pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead. Wes was happy he finally found a place that he belonged to, as well as a woman who didn’t care about his past and only cared about the person that he was now. Shayne was happy for him as well, and this time the two kept in very close contact.  
“I’m still kind of shocked that you let him go.” Keith asked over the phone in reference to Shayne. Olivia smiled as she finished applying a thin coat of mascara and ruffled her hair. “This is the guy that you spent all nighters on, the guy the you wanted to a kill over a year ago.” Keith pushed. All Olivia could do was smile.  
“I didn’t let him go Keith.” Olivia answered as she searched through her closet that now contained clothes with much more color and variety. “I still keep a very close eye on him, just in a different way.” She joked. Olivia could practically hear Keith’s eyeroll over the phone.  
“Alright,” he said exaggerated, “have fun on your date.” He hung up and Olivia smiled as she threw on her jacket and glanced out her window to see a very fancy sportbike pull up to her building. She pranced down the stairs and gave Shayne a wild smile as she placed her bike helmet on her head, mounted the bike, and wrapped her arms around his torso. Shayne took off in the bike and they rode off to enjoy their date, a date that made him feel like a normal guy goin on a lovely date with the perfect girl.

+++

“It’s been a whole year but it’s still so strange and foreign to me.” Mari said as she looked out the large window of the sanctum. Wes sat beside her as Flitz was still with Damien in Kamar Taj. Wes looked down at her as she sat cross legged on the floor with her hands placed delicately in her lap, robes flowing out and around her body.  
“What feels foreign?” He asked.  
“This, normalcy.”  
“I don’t think being able to control energies and parts of the multiverse is incredibly normal.” Wes scoffed. Mari nudged his arm with her elbow.  
“No, this peace and calm.” She said. He just nodded in agreement, it was rather strange to feel no weight resting on his chest and shoulders. No sense of impending doom, no fight club to work at, no Nazis he had to work for. Wes was grateful for it despite how strange it felt.  
But who knew that feeling would be lost in a second, or in the snap of a certain set of fingers.


End file.
